EXPERIMENT eBOOK

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Part 1: 

1. Label the bottom of 2 petri dishes, label one “5 seconds” and the other “30 seconds”. 

2. Now we need a test food.  Try something substantial, like a piece of lunch meat.  We need 2 pieces, one to drop and leave for 5 seconds, the other to leave longer than 5 seconds. 

3. Now choose a floor to do the test. Preferably a tile or wood floor because they are easier to clean after the experiment is finished.  We don’t want to use carpet, too hard to clean. 

4. Get your stop watch ready!   

5. Now drop both pieces of lunch meet.  Make sure they are close together so the area is equally bacteria covered. 

6. After 5 seconds pick up one of the pieces, leaving the other to soak up more bacteria, at 30 seconds. 

7. Now swab the first piece, if you used lunch meet you shouldn’t have to wet the swab, lunch meet is naturally moist. Apply to dish labeled, 5 seconds. 

8. Pick up the second piece after 30 seconds, swab it and apply to dish labeled, 30 seconds.   

Part 2: 

1. Place dishes upside down and keep at a temperature of between 840 and 1000  F.  A common household desk lamp should do the job. 

2. Check daily for bacteria growth and document progress. 

3. On the 4th day document results of the test. 

Conclusion: 

Was there a difference between the dishes? 

Was there significantly less bacteria on the 5 second dish? 

What conclusion would you draw from the experiment?