Measuring the Size of an Oil Molecule

[Alex Holliday]

 

Scientifically oriented question – What is the size of an oil molecule?

 

Evidence – We first found that the diameter of a drop of oil which was .5mm so then the radius was .25mm. We used that to calculate the volume which came out to be .065mm^3  We then calculated the area of the spread oil drop which came out to be 7088mm^2 which then gave us the thinckness of the oil layer which is 0.0033mm or 3.3x10^-3mm.

 

Explanation-  We calculated the volume using the formula 4/3(pi)(r)^3 so we plugged in .25 into the formula, 4/3(pi)(.25)^3 , giving us the volume of the drop as.065^3.  The group's diameter for the spread of the oil molecule was 95mm which gives us the radius of 47.5mm. The formula for area is (pi)(r)^2 so we plugged in 47.5 into the radius (pi)(47.5)^2 giving us 7088mm^2 The formula for the volume of a cylinder is bh=(pi)(r)^2h. so we plugged in the volume and radius and solved for h 0.065=π(2.5)^2h and ended up with 0.0033mm or 3.3x10^-3mm as the size of our molecule.

Connection- This lab taught me how important the size of a molecule really is exspecially in the medical field. If doctors and nurses did not know how to properly measure any sort of medication it could be a drastic change in your health, even death. The size of a molecule is also important in nanotechnology. Nanotech is used in everyday life like cosmetics, skin care, clothing, food, and screens on computers and phones.

 

Communication – The best way to communicate this newfound information would be to teach others what i have learned and show them how important it is for them to know this. I could set up experiments and worksheets for others to figure out the size of a molecule and help them to learn it until they have this information down.

 

Reflection –A lot of other students seem to end up with different sizes of an oil molecule but it depends on how much oil you used, the amount of time you let it spread, the amount of powder you used, and your calculations and measurements. But overall everyone seems to be using the same formulas and looks like they have a pretty good understanding of this lab and how to measure a molecule.