Example 1
Purpose/Question:
Demonstrates how lighter and heavier oils behave different when spoiled onto fine-grained, medium
grained, and coarse grained sediment?
Hypothesis:
We thought the mineral/gas would be faster than the molasses. We thought the mineral oil would sink
faster than the molasses in the mud. We thought the molasses would sink slower in the pebbles than
mineral oil.
Material list:
Medium-to fine-grained sand
Mud
Molasses (crude oil)
Mineral oil (gasoline or natural gas)
Bowls
Procedure:
1. Fill each container about two thirds full with one of the 3 sediments.
2. Press the bottom of a glass, jar, or paper cup into 2 places on the surface of the sediments to make 2
treatment areas in each container.
3. Measure out equal volumes of molasses & mineral oil.
4. Choose one of the containers. Pour the molasses into one of the treatment areas, & mineral oil into
the other.
Observe the immediate behavior of the liquids. Do they penetrate the sediment? How fast does this
happen? What differences between the 2 liquids do you see?
5. Repeat these steps for the other 2 containers then compare.
Result:
Gasoline/mineral oil was absorbed faster than the crude oil/molasses into the fine grained sand.
Gasoline was less dense & floated on top of the mud while the crude oil was more dense & sank to the
bottom.
Analysis/Discussion
The molasses represent crude oil and the “crude oil” sank straight down the ocean (mud). Although the
“crude oil” sank straight down the ocean (mud), it stayed on the surface when we spilled it on the beach
(fine grained sand). So it would be easier to pick it up, if it was on the “beach” then if it was in the
“ocean”. The gasoline (mineral oil) did the opposite of the crude oil (molasses). It would be easier if you
had to pick up oil on the beach, other than gasoline on a beach. The oil would stay on the surface other
than the gasoline. Although it would be harder to pick up crude oil if it was in the ocean. The oil would
sink straight down, but the gasoline would float on the top.
Conclusion:
Even though one another was easier to pick up in different surfaces (ocean & beach). They both still
affect the sea life and if there’s no sea life then there’s no SEAFOOD! That means no more fish, shrimp,
shark, oysters, lobster, crab, etc. So there’s less food for us humans.
Example 2
Title:
N/A
.
Purpose or Question:
The purpose of this experiment was to see how lighter and heavier oils behave differetly when
spilled onto mud, and medium-to fine-grained sand.
Hypothesis:
Sand: My partners and I think the molasses is going to say on top longer than the mineral oil.
We also think the mineral oil is going to sink faster
Mud: My partners and I think molasses going to stay on top, and mineral oil is going to stay on top too
Material List / Set-up:(A,B)
A.

3 wide-month containers

Measuring cup

Coarse-grained sand

Clay or mud

Molasses

Mineral oil
B. First we added the mineral oil on the sand.
Second we added the molasser on the sand.
After that we did the same thing but on the mud.
Procedure:

We made the materials for the lab

We made an hypothesis

We tested the experiment

Then we made an analysis and conclussion
Data:
N/A
Results:
Sand- The mineral oil sunk in the sand really fast. While, the molasses stayed on the top of the
sand, sinking really slowly.
Mud- The mineral oil stayed on top of the mud floating and did not sink at all. Then, when we put some
molasses in the mud and it sunked.
Analysis / Discussion:
We came up with, that it turned out to be a success and that it was an good experiment because it
gave us an idea that if natural gases or crude oil and other harmful energies were to get on certaint
substances then a solution can be made but if it got on to other substances there cant be an solution
made.