Which Hand Cleaner/Sanitizer
is the Most Effective on
Eliminating Germs?
First Name, Last Name
Homeroom _____
Grade ____
Title Slide
Guidelines to follow for Title Page (Slide #1)
DUE ________
□ States the research question clearly and
concisely.
□ Shows the student’s name, homeroom and
grade level labeled clearly
Purpose
The purpose of this experiment is to determine which
type of hand cleaner/sanitizer is the most effective on
eliminating germs on hands. This is important because of
the many germs and viruses plaguing peoples' health.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), it is
recommended to wash your hands many times a day to
guard against sickness. Therefore, it would be very useful
to know the most effective hand cleaner/sanitizer against
germs.
Purpose Slide
Guidelines to follow for Purpose (Slide #2) DUE ______
□ States precisely what the investigation was attempting
to discover.
□ States a definite question or problem.
□ Answer how your experiment will influence the world.
What value will it have outside the classroom?
□ Explain why you wanted to research this question or
problem.
□ State what you hope to learn from this project.
□ Written in one complete paragraph.
Hypothesis
The experimenter believes that the alcohol based hand
sanitizer will be the most effective against germs. In
support of this, the CDC (Center for Disease Control) claims
that alcohol kills germs. The hand sanitizer without alcohol
will be the second most effective against germs because it
contains a germ-killing agent. Coming in third would be the
anti-bacterial soap, because it has anti-bacterial properties
that kill some types of bacteria in germs. Some of this
bacteria is found in viruses. Lastly, the regular hand soap
will be the least effective against germs, since it does not
contain any germ fighting ingredients. The results of this
experiment will educate people to make healthier choices
in battling germs, a worldwide problem.
Hypothesis Slide
Guidelines to follow for Hypothesis (Slide #3)
DUE _______
□ A hypothesis statement is present-what do
you think is going to happen in your
experiment?
□ Explain why you made that particular
hypothesis statement. Answer how you
arrived at that possible conclusion?
□ Written in one complete paragraph.
Variables
Independent/Manipulated Variable: Type of hand
sanitizer
Dependent/Responding Variable: Percent of germ
elimination
Control Variables: amount of each hand sanitizer, testing
location, equipment used, time of day experiment was
performed, UV light, water source, camera, stopwatch,
etc.
Control Group: Regular Hand Soap
Experimental Groups: hand sanitizer with alcohol, hand
sanitizer without alcohol, anti-bacterial hand soap and
foaming anti-bacterial hand soap
Variables Slide
Guidelines for Variables (Slide #4) DUE _______
• □ Each different type of variable is clearly labeled
• □ One variable being changed (independent/manipulated);
correctly identified
• □ One variable being measured (dependent/responding); correctly
identified
• □ One of the independent variables used as the control group;
correctly identified
• □ There are multiple items under controls/constants; correctly
identified
• □ The rest of the independent variables listed as the experimental
groups; correctly identified
Terms to Know for Variables
• Independent variable / manipulating variable: the experimenter changes a
factor to observe what will happen. The factor that is changed is the
independent / manipulating variable.
• Dependent variable / responding variable: The factors that were changed
may cause something else to happen. The “something else to happen” is
the dependent / responding variable. This is what the experimenter
measures (be sure to measure in metric units).
• Constants: the factors that stay the same throughout the entire
experiment. The experimenter wants to keep everything the same except
for the independent variable being tested.
• Control Group/Comparison Group: a study group that is used as
comparison. Think of the standard situation. A sample that is treated like
the other experimental groups except the independent variable is not
applied to it.
• Experimental Groups: Those that have something done to them. The
“something” is the independent / manipulating variable.
Materials
● 20 ml Glo-Germ Gel: Lotion-based artificial germs (1 ml
used per trial).
● Ultra-Violet (UV) Light: To illuminate artificial germs.
● Five different types of hand sanitizer/hand soap: hand
sanitizer with alcohol, hand sanitizer without alcohol,
regular hand soap, anti-bacterial hand soap and
foaming anti-bacterial hand soap. 8 ml of each hand
sanitizer/hand soap (2 ml used per trial).
Materials that are being tested for effectiveness.
● Oral Syringe: Used to measure amount of Glo-Germ
Gel, hand sanitizers, and hand soaps.
● Warm running water: To assist in hand soap testing.
Materials Continued
● Paper towels: Used to dry hands.
● Watch with a second hand: Used to uniformly
time each trial.
● Notebook: Used to record data.
● Camera: Used to photograph before and after
pictures of results.
● 1 pair of human hands: Used as test basis.
Material Slide
Guidelines to follow for Materials (Slide #5 or more) DUE ________
□ Apparatus (equipment used) and materials are listed
□ Drawings and photographs are present if they enhance and clarify
the apparatus
□ List the material used and one sentence explaining how it is being
used in the experiment.
□ You may use bullet points where one bullet relates to one piece of
equipment used.
□ Be sure to include how much of something is being used for each
trial and how much for the whole experiment (You must have at
least four trials).
□ Always use metric units: i.e. grams, liters or milliliters, centimeters or
millimeters, and °C.
Procedure
1. Measure 1 mL of Glo-Germ Gel with oral syringe and
rub onto hands.
2. Examine hands under ultra-violet (UV) light in a
darkened room.
3. Take a picture of hands with a camera.
4. Measure 2 mL of hand sanitizer with alcohol with oral
syringe and rub onto hands thoroughly.
5. Repeat steps 2 and 3 and record data in notebook.
6. Repeat steps 1-5; substituting hand sanitizer without
alcohol in step 4.
Procedure Continued
7. Measure 1 ml of Glo-Germ Gel with the oral syringe and rub onto
hands.
8. Examine hands under ultra-violet (UV) light in a darkened room.
9. Take a picture of hands with a camera.
10. Measure 2 ml of regular hand soap with the oral syringe and rub onto
hands thoroughly for 20 seconds, tracking time with a watch.
11. Rinse hands with warm running water and dry with paper towel.
12. Repeat steps 8 and 9 and record data in notebook.
13. Repeat steps 7-12; substituting each of the remaining hand soaps,
regular anti-bacterial and foaming anti-bacterial in step 10.
Procedure Slide
Guidelines to follow for the Procedure (Slide #6 or
more) DUE ________
□ Step-by-step, chronological procedures are present.
□ Number of test groups is adequate, and the number of
trials within each test group is adequate. Be sure to
state “Repeat steps ___ through ____ three more
times.”
□ The control of variables is evident. (Make sure you are
testing only one variable!)
□ The procedure should be presented in step-by-step
form. Do not leave any step out, even “gathering
materials.”
Trial 1 Data Table
Type of Hand Sanitizer/Soap
Percent (%) of Germ Elimination
Hand Sanitizer with Alcohol
(SA)
15%
Hand Sanitizer without
Alcohol (SnoA)
5%
Regular Hand Soap
(RS)
40%
Anti-Bacterial Hand Soap
(ABS)
60%
Anti-Bacterial Foaming
Hand Soap
(ABF)
80%
Trial 2 Data Table
Type of Hand Sanitizer/Soap
Percent (%) of Germ Elimination
Hand Sanitizer with Alcohol
(SA)
25%
Hand Sanitizer without
Alcohol (SA)
10%
Regular Hand Soap
(RS)
50%
Anti-Bacterial Hand Soap
(ABS)
70%
Anti-Bacterial Foaming
Hand Soap
(ABF)
80%
Trial 3 Data Table
Type of Hand Sanitizer/Soap
Percent (%) of Germ Elimination
Hand Sanitizer with Alcohol
(SA)
20%
Hand Sanitizer without
Alcohol (SnoA)
5%
Regular Hand Soap
(RS)
55%
Anti-Bacterial Hand Soap
(ABS)
70%
Anti-Bacterial Foaming
Hand Soap
(ABF)
75%
Trial 4 Data Table
Type of Hand Sanitizer/Soap
Percent (%) of Germ Elimination
Hand Sanitizer with Alcohol
(SA)
15%
Hand Sanitizer without
Alcohol (SnoA)
5%
Regular Hand Soap
(RS)
60%
Anti-Bacterial Hand Soap
(ABS)
60%
Anti-Bacterial Foaming
Hand Soap (ABF)
85%
Data Tables Slides
Guidelines to follow for the Data Tables (Slide #7
through #10) DUE _________
□ Data is organized into tables/charts.
□ Data is quantitative and correct units of measurement
(metric) are used and labeled in the table.
□ Data is clear and accurate.
□ Each trial has its own data table
□ There are headings for the columns and rows of the
data tables
□ 4 trials are required
Data Graph
Graph Slide
Guidelines to follow for Graph of Data (Slide #11) DUE ___________
□ Graph has an appropriate title, labels for each axis with units when
necessary, appropriate scales and a key.
□ All students must have at least one graph explaining the results of
their experiment. They may choose to do one graph with all of the
trials present or a graph of each individual trial.
□ Students may use bar, line or pie graphs to represent their data.
Students will decide which one is appropriate to show their data.
□ 1 paragraph explaining what your data is showing you. Explain your
data. What trends or patterns did you notice in your data? Is there
any data that is out of place? Why is this so? Why did you get the
results that you did?
Graph Analysis
The graph shows that foaming anti-bacterial hand soap
had the highest percentage of germ elimination with
an average of eighty percent after four trials. The
foaming anti-bacterial hand soap had the highest
percentage of germ elimination since it contains 0.6%
of triclosan; as opposed to 0.15% of triclosan in the
regular anti-bacterial hand soap. Regular anti-bacterial
hand soap had the second highest percentage of germ
elimination with an average of sixty-five percent after
four trials. Regular hand soap came in next with an
average of fifty-one percent germ elimination after
four trials.
Graph Analysis Continued
Hand sanitizers had the least percentage of germ
elimination with average percentages of eighteen
percent for sanitizer with alcohol and six percent for
sanitizer without alcohol after four trials. Since hand
sanitizers are not washed off and stay on the hands,
they eliminate less germs.
The data was not out of place and the consistent trends in
all four trials showed that the soaps used with warm
running water, overpowered the hand sanitizers that
dried on the hands to eliminategerms.
Graph Analysis Slide
Guidelines to follow for Analysis of Graph (Slide
#12) DUE ___________
□ 1 paragraph explaining what your data is showing
you. Explain your data. Think about..
-What trends or patterns did you notice in your
data?
-Is there any data that is out of place? Why is this
so?
-Why did you get the results that you did?
Conclusion
My hypothesis was incorrect since alcohol based and non-alcohol
based hand sanitizers demonstrated the least percentage of germ
elimination. The experimenter believes these percentages are low
due to the fact that triclosan found in the anti-bacterial hand soaps
has better germ eliminating agents than ethyl alcohol and
benzalkonium found in the respective hand sanitizers. Regular hand
soap had only reasonable effectiveness at eliminating germs since it
did not contain triclosan or any other germ killing agent. While the
research supports the data in that alcohol eliminates germs it was
not the most effective germ eliminator. Additional research
supported the data in that the most effective way to eliminate
germs is soap and water and proper hand washing. Regular or
foaming anti-bacterial soap used with water rinses the hands free
of germs, whereas hand sanitizers dry and remain on the hands
only eliminating some germs.
Conclusion Continued
There were no problems/changes encountered in this
experiment. However, if the experimenter were to
perform this experiment again, she would include the
testing of additional types of hand soaps (i.e. glycerin,
transparent , bar soap , etc.) and additional human
hands for a wider range of data.
Some experimental error may have occurred in the
determination of the percentage of germ elimination
left on the hands since it was the experimenter 's best
estimation as seen by the naked eye as to what
percentage of the hand was left germ free.
Conclusion Continued
Therefore, in conclusion, the experimenter would
recommend like the Center for Disease Control (CDC)
that washing hands properly and many times a day
with soap (especially foaming antibacterial) and water
is the best way to eliminate germs. In addition, the
experimenter would like to recommend to Mt.
Greenwood School to consider adopting the program
of the School Network for Absenteeism Prevention
(SNAP). This helpful program describes the correct way
of washing hands to guard against germs and reduce
absenteeism from school due to sickness. More
information can be found at www.itsasnap.org.
Conclusion Slide
Guidelines to follow for this section: Conclusions (Slide #13 or more) DUE _______
Some questions to answer in your conclusion statement.
1) Was the hypothesis statement correct? Why or why not?
2) Explain your data. What trends or patterns did you notice in your data? Is there
any data that is out of place? Why is this so? Why did you get the results that you
did?
3) How did your research support or disprove your data? What did you learn from
your research that helps you answer how and why you got the results that you
did? If there was nothing that helped, then what should you research to help with
explaining the data?
4) What problems/changes did you encounter in your experiment? How did these
problems affect your results? How did you correct these problems?
5) If you were to perform this experiment again, what would you change to make it
better and why?
Overall Presentation
Overall Slide Presentation Guidelines: DUE ________
-Be as creative as you want in the design of the slides and the
way the information is presented. Add color, add pictures,
add creative ways for the information to appear and
disappear. MAKE SURE the font on the slide is readable and
large enough for the whole room to read.
-When you save your slide presentation, be sure to include
your name and project title in the name of the document
so it will be easy for Mr. Spencer and Mrs. Weber to
separate the presentations into the individual classes.
Student must “share” the document with
mrs.weber201@gmail.com or caspencer@cps.edu in
google drive.