Which mask will protect us from bacteria the most?

If I use the N-95 mask then my chances of getting protected from bacteria are higher than wearing the surgical mask, a cloth mask, or even no mask at all

-4 petri dishes

-N-95 mask

-surgical mask

-cloth mask

-and my bare mouth

1.gather all the materials needed

2. put on the first mask you would like to use

3. cough four times into the petri dish

4. Wait six days for your results

5. Repeat the same for each different mask on separate petri dishes

Independent Variable- different kinds of masks

Dependent Variable- amount of bacteria transmitted through each mask

Constants- the amount of times and intensity of cough

Control- no mask

Which mask protects us from bacteria the most?

My hypothesis was that the N-95 mask would protect us from bacteria the most. I believed this because the N-95 masks filters are very small and most bacteria can not go through it. These results support my hypothesis. The N-95 turned out to be more protective than the rest. It had zero colonies on the petri dish for both trials. If I happened to do this experiment again, I would select a different patient population with a higher burden of bacteria.

The Purpose of this project was to determine which mask will protect us humans from bacteria the most. My problem statement was “which mask will protect us from bacteria the most.” My hypothesis was “If I use the N-95 mask, then my chances of getting protected from bacteria are higher than wearing the surgical mask, a cloth mask, or even no mask at all.” My hypothesis was correct. There were no colonies of bacteria in the petri dish for the N-95.

First of all, I researched the literature about the different types of masks more commonly used nowadays to protect us from infections, and how to culture microorganisms such as bacteria. I gathered 2 sets of cloth, surgical, and N95s masks, as well as 8 agar plates, for bacteria to grow. I coughed four times without a mask into the agar media 2.5 inches away from my mouth, and labeled and dated the plate. Then I put it away in a safe area at room temperature. I repeated the same process with the different types of masks and observed daily for 6 days.

No surgical mask agar plate grew a total of 5 colonies in the first petri dish and 2 colonies in the second set by the end of the 6th day. Cloth masks grew a total of 2 colonies in each of the 2 agar plates. Surgical masks grew 1 colony each in each agar. No colonies were seen in either agar plate with the N95 mask.

No mask means no protection so bacteria can spread everywhere. The Cloth Mask has the largest filter size and therefore most bacteria will go through it. The surgical masks are slightly larger than those in the N-95 mask and therefore allow bacteria of certain sizes to get through. And the N-95 masks filters are smaller than most bacteria, therefore it can not get through.

These results can be used in day to day life because there's a pandemic going on. If we know that a certain mask is the best to use, you should use it. You're putting other people's lives to risk if you are wearing no mask at all. The N-95 would be best because it is the thickest and doesn't have any space through the sides where bacteria can enter or escape through.

My results can be used in day to day life and heres why. We have a pandemic going on and to avoid getting sick we should wear masks. The N-95, which according to my results is the best mask to use, filters are very small which bacteria can not come in or out of it.

-Junker, Meredith. “How to Grow Bacteria in a Petri Dish.” Wiki How, September 13, 2019,

https://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Bacteria-in-a-Petri-Dish#:~:text=Place%20the%20Petri%20dishes%20in%20a%20warm%2C%20dark%20place.&text=If%20necessary%2C%20you%20can%20place,cultures%20enough%20time%20to%20grow

-McCormick, Maggie. “The Best Ways to Grow Bacteria on Agar.” Sciencing, July 31, 2019,

https://sciencing.com/ways-grow-bacteria-agar-13461.html

-Owyoung, Palmer. “How to Measure Bacterial Growth in Petri Dishes” Sciencing, May 14, 2018

https://sciencing.com/measure-bacterial-growth-petri-dishes-5837896.html

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS