Hururmanu - Decomposition

Aim: To learn about the rate that different materials decompose.

Hypothesis:

-Bananas
-White styrophone
-Paper
-Bread
-Water

Materials:

1.   Test tubes(x4)
2.   Banana(x1)
3.   Bread(x1)
4.   Styrophone(x1)
5.   Paper(x1)
6.   Test tube rack(x1)
7. Bung(x4)
8. Water

Steps:

1.   Get 4 test tubes and place them in the test tube rack.
2.   Get the Banana, Bread, Styrophone and Paper and place them in each test tube.
3. Place a bung on each test tube so it is closed.
4.   Make sure the test tube is big enough for each strip of materials to fit in.
5.   That is done and see if they change over the weeks and the colour they change into.
6.   Record them on the table you made for each week.
7. Plus: Add half a test tube of water to the bread.

Findings:

It made a MASSIVE difference in week 3, we had 2 weeks of holidays so we could not record by then, it was in the science lab so we could come back and record it then. We started the experiment before the holidays so we had time, we finished it by then and we were ready to record. After the holidays when we came back, it was incredible how much of a change it did in 3 weeks. The banana was a creamy colour until from now it turned black and brown with fungi all over it.

The paper stayed the same because paper takes a long time to decompose so it stayed the same & the same results was with the Styrophone cup which was still white and had no changes at all. But when I and my group looked at the bread, it made a huge difference when water was added. So when we looked at the bread, it was not a piece of bread anymore. It was all liquified and white coloured like milk, it had a few little chunks of the bread but the rest was just liquid. We looked at it for a moment and the movements of the liquid which used to be bread & water, it was slowly making its way as we turned the test tube.

TODAY	Colour	Change	Observations
Banana	Cream	Nothing	We waited for 3 weeks
Paper	White	Nothing	We waited for 3 weeks
Styrophone cup	White	Nothing	We waited for 3 weeks
Bread	White	Nothing	We waited for 3 weeks

• 
  

  Week 3	Colour	Change	Observations
  Banana	Black & Brown	Fungi & rotten	Has rotten & has fungi on the Banana and turned black and brown
  Paper	White	Same	Same...
  Styrophone cup	White	Same	Same...
  Bread	White	White liquid with a chunk of little pieces	Turned into liquid and a little chunk of bread was left and looked like milk, water was added so it made a big difference.