Orbeez water beads are super-absorbent polymer (SAP) comprised of sodium polyacrylate ([CH2-CH(CO2Na)]n which have proven to be a suitable human cell model from the previous study with the structural and functional similarities in osmosis, tonicity response, and semi-permeability. This study aims to answer whether moisturizers are effective against cells losing moisture at a cellular level by using Orbeez. Due to the difficulties in Orbeez decrease in size with its chemical structure once hydrated, the experiment was designed at a reversed step where three types of most widely used moisturizers were applied around Orbeez prior to being applied into the water for five minutes which showed no growth during the time. Rate of diameter growth was measured every two minutes for 25 minutes. Water for all groups was controlled at room temperature (20°C) with starting average diameter of Orbeez at 1.50 mm. Diameter growth of Control group reached its maximum at 8.00 mm by the end of the trial whereas the other three groups applied with moisturizers did not. Slower rate in diameter growth of one moisturizer brand was observed compared to the other two brands. The result found indicates that moisturizers may help with keeping human dermal layer moisturized by blocking water from evaporation, and that the efficacy may vary with different brands and formula. Orbeez water beads are super-absorbent polymer (SAP) comprised of sodium  polyacrylate ([CH2-CH(CO2Na)]n which have proven to be a suitable human cell model from  the previous study with the structural and functional similarities in osmosis, tonicity  response, and semi-permeability. This study aims to answer whether moisturizers are  eKective against cells losing moisture at a cellular level by using Orbeez. Due to the  diKiculties in Orbeez decrease in size with its chemical structure once hydrated, the  experiment was designed at a reversed step where three types of most widely used  moisturizers were applied around Orbeez prior to being applied into the water for five minutes which showed no growth during the time. Rate of diameter growth was measured  every two minutes for 25 minutes. Water for all groups was controlled at room temperature  (20°C) with starting average diameter of Orbeez at 1.50 mm. Diameter growth of Control  group reached its maximum at 8.00 mm by the end of the trial whereas the other three  groups applied with moisturizers did not. Slower rate in diameter growth of one moisturizer brand was observed compared to the other two brands. The result found indicates that  moisturizers may help with keeping human dermal layer moisturized by blocking water  from evaporation, and that the eKectiveness may vary with diKerent brands and formula

In 2020, during COVID-19, it was noted that for people with darker skin tones, initial reading of oxygen saturation, using a pulse oximeter, was within normal limits. However, when blood samples were later run, their blood gas values stated the opposite. It was determined that the UV and IR wavelengths used for pulse oximetry, have poor accuracy when used on darker skin tone due to an increased absorption of the light, giving false higher readings. This study measured arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO₂) using Finger and forehead probes to determine if one probe works better than the other depending on skin tone. Forehead probe readings showed no significant difference in oxygen saturation (98.00% vs. 98.50%). The Finger probe readings, on the other hand, showed a mean SpO₂ of 98.50% for lighter skin tones compared to 97.33% for darker skin tones, a difference of 1.17 percentage points. Although this difference did not show statistical significance, the large effect size (Cohen's d = 1.28) suggests a clinically meaningful trend. However, this shows the opposite of what was hypothesized — the finger probe reads lower, not higher, for darker skin tones. These findings, while limited by a small sample size (n = 10), suggest the finger probe may underestimate rather than overestimate oxygen saturation in darker skin tones.

This lab studies how different substances when heated at a controlled temperature reach their boiling points. This study focuses on how long it takes for each substance to reach its boiling point. Knowing this information helps physicists know which of these substances is most effective for boiling to track which liquid has the highest heat conservation.  

This experiment examines how a hanging mass damper affects the oscillations of a flexible model tower subjected to external forces such as wind or shaking. A lightweight tower model was constructed using popsicle sticks and tested under repeated disturbances both with and without a suspended mass damper attached near the top of the structure. Oscillation amplitude, sway behavior, and stabilization time were observed and compared between trials. As the damper mass increases, the tower’s oscillation amplitude should generally decrease because the heavier damper can absorb more motion. However, if the damper becomes too heavy, it may pull on the structure too much and increase instability. As the string length changes, the damper’s swing period also changes, so the best results are expected when the string length allows the damper to swing opposite the tower’s motion. Therefore, a medium-to-heavy mass with a medium string length is predicted to reduce oscillations the most.

Climate change continues to grow in relevance as it affects more and more people worldwide. With this fact in mind, communities are looking to start regreening projects to combat climate change’s effects on temperature and precipitation. Six of these regreening projects, including the Green Wall in Africa, the Sahara Forest Project, and the Missouri River Recovery Program, were all started around 2011 and are ongoing in their efforts. This study analyzed annual temperature data for cities located near regreening projects, before & after the projects started. The gathered data was compared and analyzed to evaluate whether climate change’s rising temperatures were mitigated. The data showed that all six locations where regreening has taken place saw either a decrease in annual temperature or maintained a constant annual temperature over the 14 year period, even with the worldwide temperature rapidly increasing. This data supports the expansion of green spaces to mitigate the impacts of climate change like desertification and local rising temperatures. 

This study examines the power, and by proxy force, acceleration and velocity, of a one rep max of Olympic lifts, such as snatch and clean/split jerk. Videos of lifts being executed were analyzed using a software that quantified the lift motion. Analysis of the lifts clearly show the characteristic speed, force, and power variations as the subject moves through the different phases of the lift, with significant differences in timing of the peak power. The clean had a power spike of 0.81kW during the catch at the bottom, then a spike of 0.3kW when lifter achieves full hip extension and standing with barbell in front rack position. The dip to drive overhead into a split jerk gives a spike of 0.6 kW. The squat snatch had a spike of 0.57 kW during the pull phase and 0.18 kW during the lifter completing the overheard squat. The outcomes of this study demonstrate objective measurements that can use to optimize lift performance.

This experiment examined the effectiveness of an ultrasound scanner connected to an Arduino in measuring the position and motion of a moving object. The purpose of this research was to determine if the sensor measured distance differently when an object traveled away from the sensor compared to when it traveled towards the sensor. A cart was launched towards and away from the sensor each at two speeds to test the behavior of the sensor at different velocities and directions of motion. The results showed that the sensor was generally effective at tracking the cart’s motion in both directions. Higher velocity trials produced more accurate readings, while lower velocity trials showed more variation in the data. These findings suggest that ultrasonic sensors can provide reliable motion tracking data, but their accuracy may be affected by motion speed

 For years,  the importance of proper  shoe-ware has been emphasized In the sport of basketball.This Project investigated how different types of basketball specific footwear can affect the amount of force absorbed in a controlled jump. Three different shoes with different purposes were tested by drop jumping off a fixed distance box 18in, 3 times each. In this, we observed peak Ground Reaction Force (GRF) while taking account the weight of the subject. Results as of now are inconclusive, but we expect the Jason Tatum low top shoes to perform better than the other 2 shoes. 

As nuclear sciences have become increasingly integrated into our society, those who handle radioisotopes daily for research and medicinal purposes are most susceptible to long-term, damaging effects from radiation on the human body at a cellular level. This experiment aims to illustrate which materials could be used to protect and shield those who work closely with these nuclear sources from harmful radiation emissions. Within this experiment, research was conducted to find which material is best suited to shield Americium-241(α) and Strontium-90 (β) radiation, as well as how different thicknesses affect the shielding efficacy of beta radiation. Cardboard, aluminum, copper, and lead were tested by placing these materials between the radioisotopes and the monitor. The results show that aluminum and lead were the most effective in shielding Americium-241,blocking 58.4% and 56.6%, respectively, of alpha particle counts per second. However, copper and lead were the most effective in shielding Strontium-90 beta particles, blocking94.9% and 91.2%, respectively, of beta particle counts per second. As for thickness, additional layers of each material increase their shielding efficacy for beta emissions, with cardboard having the most linear increase in radiation blocking with each layer. Ultimately, these results illustrate how the efficiency of radiation shielding largely depends on material composition, thickness of the material, and particle type. These insights provide meaningful applications for protection within the nuclear and medical field.

This study investigates the effects of varying payload mass on the velocity, acceleration, and travel time of a motorized vehicle. The motion of a Remote Control (RC) car was measured over a 150-inch course with each weight payload. As the overall mass of the RC car increased, the car saw a consistent decrease in performance. The car saw a drop in acceleration by a nonlinear amount with each additional mass increment. Velocity followed a similar trend also decreasing overall in a non linear fashion as mass was increased. The impacts of this experiment can help greatly with large transport trucks and freight companies by being able to calculate fuel efficiency and costs in regards to the increasing gas prices which will lead to overall profit gains in the long run. 

This project examined a circulatory-system model based on an educational learning website. The project had two main parts: evaluating the model design and measuring how viscosity affects flow rate. During testing, several limitations appeared: Two different methods designed to squeeze the chamber failed to produce enough force to drive the fluid. When driven manually, fluid failed to maintain directional flow because there were no one-way valves. Additionally, air bubbles affected flow and the flow sensor was not sensitive enough for very low flow rates. These problems helped show what improvements would be needed for a better classroom model. In the manually driven model, four fluids with estimated viscosities from 1.0 cP to 6.2 cP were tested. Higher-viscosity fluids generally showed lower flow rates, and a one-way ANOVA showed that viscosity had a significant effect on flow rate, F(3,12) = 58.8, p = 1.90 × 10⁻⁷. Overall, the project showed both the physics relationship between viscosity and flow and the engineering challenges of building a realistic, low-cost circulatory model.  

Planck’s constant is a fundamental constant in physics that relates the energy of a photon to its frequency. In this project, we utilized a Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller and an RGB LED circuit to experimentally determine Planck’s constant by analyzing the relationship between LED activation voltage and inverse wavelength. Initial data collection methods yielded a 2.18% error, due to the use of nominal wavelength values and imprecise detection of light when collecting voltage values. To improve our experiment, we measured the LED’s wavelength values with an emission spectrometer and used a light sensor to precisely detect LED illuminance. Improvements in optical and spectral measurements refined our experimental percent error to 1.73%. Our project demonstrates the use of electrical and optical measurement in experimentally determining a fundamental physical constant. 

This project investigates the relationship between vibration frequency and nodal pattern formation using the Chladni Plate. A copper circular plate is suspended above a speaker so that sound waves generate vibrations without direct contact. Particles of sand or salt are thinly distributed across the surface of the plate to visualize standing wave patterns formed at different frequencies. Mathematical modeling involving frequency equations, flexural rigidity, and Bessel functions is used to predict the vibrational modes of the plate. Using these calculations, the number of circular and diametric nodal lines present at specific frequencies can be estimated, allowing predictions of how the sand patterns will be distributed across the plate. The primary objective of the project is to compare these theoretical predictions with experimentally observed Chladni Patterns in order to better understand the relationship between resonance, standing waves, and pattern formation. This project demonstrates how mathematical wave models can be applied to predict physical behavior in vibrating systems.

The purpose of this experiment is to investigate how different airfoil shapes affect lift and drag forces at varying angles of attack, ranging from 0 to 10 degrees. Three airfoil designs will be tested: the NACA 2415 (“The Dolphin”), and two trapezoidal versions of the NACA 0012 airfoil - one with a tapered leading edge and the other with a tapered trailing edge. Additionally, a wind turbine blade provided by another group as part of a collaborative experiment will be tested at a wider range of angles of attack, from 0 to 60 degrees. We will compare our results from this test to previous tests and prediction models from Xfoil. This presentation will be a summary of findings over the course of 3 experiments that were conducted using the Edmonds College Wind Tunnel at Monroe Hall.

This project investigated how different factors such as blade shape, blade mass, and wind speed affect the efficiency of a small-scale wind turbine. 3D printed wind turbine blade designs were tested using airflow from a box fan, while power generation, torque, and rotational speed were measured while varying blade angle of attack, geometry, and wind speed. The results showed that turbine performance changed noticeably depending on blade design and wind speed, with certain blade designs producing higher rotational speed and power output than others. Overall, the experiment demonstrated how turbine efficiency strongly depends on blade geometry, mass, airflow conditions, and design/mechanics.