Module 2 Project Experiments
The Module 2 Project Experiments are designed to give each student a chance to design and test their own experiment. A number of projects are available, with each requiring students to use all that they have learned over the semester in the execution of their design.
Project Description Links
- Electrical Resistivity of Play-Doh
- Kinetic Friction acting on a Hot Wheels Car
- Efficiency of an Electric Motor
- Viscosity of Motor Oils
- Temperature measurement with a thermocouple
- Analysis of Vitamin C in Orange Juice
- Neutralizing Ability of Antacid Tablets
- Determination of Iron in Groundwater
- Determination of Nitrates in Streamwater
- Design of a Heat Exchanger for an Industrial Process
* For background and materials information see full descriptions in the manual Appendix 8.
| Project Experiment #1 - The Resistivity of Play-Doh™ |
CompuTrend, a leading edge electronic equipment manufacturer, is interested in producing resistors made of a malleable material. They are interested in using a conducting compound composed primarily of salt and water that will resemble Play-Doh™. They have employed you to determine the resistivity of Play-Doh™ and ascertain if it is viable to use the compound for resistors.
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| Project Experiment #2 - Kinetic Friction Acting on a Hot Wheels™ Car |
Mattel Inc. would like to put a claim on the packages of Hot Wheels™ cars claiming that they are superior to the competition because they roll farther and longer. Before they do this, they decide that it would be important to do some testing on the cars. While rolling on Hot Wheels™ track, the cars experience a frictional force that slows them down. You have been hired to find the coefficient of kinetic friction that a Hot Wheels™ car and a competitor's car experience. Based on your results, you must report to them whether they can go ahead and make their claim.
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| Project Experiment #3 - Efficiency of an Electric Motor |
Pro Hobby Limited produces miniature electric motors for use in model cars and airplanes. They are interested in knowing the efficiency of their motors under various loads. You have been hired to conduct an experiment to find the efficiency of their motors under various loads and report to them your findings.
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| Project Experiment #4 - Viscosity of Motor Oils |
The A.1.A Rental Car Company is investigating motor oils to use for their fleet of 50,000 vehicles. While thermal breakdown and engine build-up are important factors in choosing a motor oil, the factor that is most important to them is a high viscosity. Synthetic oils, such as Quaker State's Premium Blend Full Synthetic motor oil, tend to be about four times the price of petroleum based, natural motor oils like Quaker States' Super Blend. A.1.A is interested in the possibility of saving money, but is set on using the oil with the higher viscosity. They have employed you to measure and compare the viscosities of the oils and determine which they should purchase.
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| Project Experiment #5 - Temperature measurement with a thermocouple |
You are involved in the design and testing of a device that requires periodic measurement of temperature inside the device. Since thermocouples are inexpensive, have fast response times and are small, you decide that you will make a thermocouple and insert it into the device as it is built. Before this is done the thermocouple needs to be calibrated and tested over the range of expected temperatures. You are expecting that typically the device will have temperatures between 270K and 380K.  |
| Project Experiment #6 - Analysis of Vitamin C in Orange Juice |
Citruscana, a company that produces orange juice, wishes to determine if its products are deteriorating in the refrigerators of its customers. They employ you to conduct an experiment to do this. One of the most important nutrients in orange is vitamin C (ascorbic acid) which easily breaks down in the presence of air. You must design an experiment to test the vitamin C concentrations in a newly opened container of orange juice and in a container that has been left open for a day.
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| Project Experiment #7 - Neutralizing Ability of Antacid Tablets |
In recent years, Kingston General Hospital has noticed a sharp increase in the number of patients with heartburn, so they have decided to hire you to test the effectiveness of popular consumer antacids. They would like to know the amount of stomach acid that can be neutralized per tablet for each brand. You should also report to them the antacid tablet that neutralizes the greatest quantity of stomach acid per gram of tablet. Based on your results, which tablet would you recommend?
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| Project Experiment #8 - Determination of Iron in Groundwater |
In the township surrounding Kingston, drinking water is usually obtained from wells. However, in many areas, the water contains very high concentrations of iron which can affect its taste and damage piping. The Ministry of the Environment has asked you to analyze a sample of water taken from a well in a newly developing area of the township. You must report to them the concentration of iron in the sample such that they can recommend filters to the new residents.
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| Project Experiment #9 - Determination of Nitrates in Stream Water |
Fertilizers sprayed on large fields to enhance crop production contain immense quantities of nitrates and phosphates. During rainfall, the nitrates run into local streams and rivers, a potentially disastrous ecological problem. The Ministry of the Environment has asked you to analyze a sample of water from a stream that flows through a plot of farmland north of Kingston. You must report to them the concentration of nitrates in the sample such that they can decide if restrictions or clean up is in order. (** Nitrates are nutrients for algae. Algae blooms consume most of the dissolved oxygen in the water, leaving an insufficient amount for the remaining aquatic life. As a result, fish and entire ecosystems can die. If the nitrate levels drop off, the decaying algae will decompose anaerobically causing foul odors.)
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| Project Experiment #10: Design of a Heat Exchanger for an Industrial Process |
| Your team has been hired by a local plant that produces NaOH as a byproduct of a chemical reaction. in order to safely release this stream into a nearby lake, a specific amount of acid must be added. You have been given the choice of using two acids, HCl and H 2SO4. You must design an experiment to determine the maximum temperature of the neutral, product solution. The Ministry of Environment requires that the final termperature of the product stream prior to being released to the nearby lake be no more than 20°C. Therefore you must calculate the area of a parallel flow heat exchanger to ensure that this temperature requirement is met. Finally, using your engineering skills, you are asked to determine which acid is a more appropriate choice to neutralize the basic stream. |
