Problem: People visiting fast food restaurants complained that ketchup was dripping onto their fingers and clothes. What could we do to insure that the ketchup will not drop all over the customers?
Hypothesis: If I put one ketchup packet in a hotter bath then it will move faster down the styrofoam plate.
Independent Variable: The temperature
Dependent Variable: The viscosity of the ketchup’s “runniness”
Constants: The type of ketchup
Materials: Water, a 3 up container to heat the water, a hot plate, a pair of scissors, 3 beakers {250 mL}, a 10 cm high block, 3 styrofoam, 3 small ketchup packets, 2 ice cubes to chill the water, 1000 mL of water, a pair of tongs, a ruler, and a timer
Procedure: 1. Measure 5 cm down on the back and front of the styrofoam plate, then draw a line across the plate
2. Place the plate tilted on the block so the backside with the line leans against the back
3. Fill a beaker with boiling water up to the 175 mL line
4. Submerge 3 ketchup packets in the hot water beaker for 3 minutes.
5. Then leave 3 ketchup packets out in the room so they can become the room temperature ketchup packets.
6. Also get 1 beaker and put 100 mL of water in the beaker.
7.Then submerge 3 packets of ketchup in the beaker.
8. After 3 minutes, grab the HOT ketchup with the tongs and then put the HOT ketchup packet on the styrofoam plate.
9. Then cut open the ketchup packet and squeeze the whole packet onto the line at the top edge of the plate.
10. Begin timing for 60 seconds once the ketchup is on the line.
11. At the end of 60 seconds, place the plate flat on the table and measure {in cm} from the starting line to where the end of the ketchup flowed.
12.Record the data.
13. Do this process over for two more trials.
14. Repeat steps 8-13 with using the packets in ice water in place of the hot water ketchup.
15. Repeat steps 8-13 with using the room temperature