Teen Studies Better Cleaning Through Chemistry

What is the most likely reason the author wrote this article?

• To provide an example of how easy it is to win a science award

• To explain some surprising uses of household products

• To promote an award-winning science fair attended by a young scientist

• To describe an experiment designed and completed by a young scientist

What key idea about experimentation do the details in paragraph 7 support?

• Experimentation requires careful timing to ensure accuracy.

• Experimentation needs to be conducted in a scientific laboratory.

• Experimentation does not necessarily require expensive lab materials.

• Experimentation cannot be completed in multiple steps.

What is the most likely reason the author presents paragraphs 8 through 14 chronologically?

• To suggest that the course of an experiment can change over time

• To emphasize the methodical nature of scientific experiments

• To indicate the difficulty in documenting research results

• To show that planning requires a significant amount of time

What is the most likely reason the author includes the photograph in the article?

• To show why Nathan focused his experiment on surface tension

• To show a step in the process Nathan followed

• To illustrate why surface tension is commonly misunderstood

• To provide a visual reference of an unfamiliar term

Read this quotation from paragraph 13. "He thought that salt might decrease surface tension, because adding the tiny molecules to the water would stop the water bonding to itself at the surface. But he found that salt made very little difference." What can the reader infer from the quotation?

• Altering factors in an experiment may not change the outcome.

• Common substances could have beneficial uses.

• Expected results can still provide valuable information.

• Making errors is common when working alone.

What is the best summary of the article?

• Every year Broadcom MASTERS awards the Lemelson Award for Invention to a middle school student. MASTERS, which stands for Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars, is an event that recognizes middle school students for their scientific achievements. Nathan Deng won the award by creating an experiment that tests how well hot water and soap clean dishes. He wants other teams to conduct the same experiment.

• Nathan Deng was able to construct an experiment that determined why hot water and soap are used to clean dishes. He kept the experiment simple by only testing the surface tension of water. The surface tension of water is the effect that results when molecules bond to each other on the surface of the liquid. Nathan found that hot water and soap reduce surface tension.

• Nathan Deng’s use of simple experimentation to answer basic questions about dish washing won him the Lemelson Award for Invention. Curious about why hot water and soap were needed to clean dishes, Nathan set up an experiment to test surface tension. Nathan tested drops of water at different temperatures as well as the use of a soap ingredient to determine their effects on surface tension. He found that soap and hot water are most effective.

• Inspiration for science projects can come from everyday life. For this reason, anyone can complete a science project. Nathan Deng investigated the way soap and hot water affect the cleanliness of dishes. There are often tiny cracks in dishes that are difficult to reach when washing dishes. Surface tension keeps water out of these spaces. Nathan’s experiment showed that using soap and hot water would be effective.

What is the most likely reason the author included paragraphs 1 through 6?

• To highlight the topic of a science experiment

• To emphasize the value of winning an award for a science experiment

• To introduce background information about a science experiment

• To promote the scientific goals of an experiment