Problem & Hypothesis


Problems

What are the pros and cons of the commonly used deicing substances: road salt, calcium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate, beet extract, and rock sand? How effective are they on snow and ice melting? What are their effect on the rate of melting compared to each other? What effect do different deicing substances have on grass growth?

Hypotheses

If five different deicers: sodium chloride, calcium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate, rock sand, and beet extract were tested for their efficiency to melt ice, then calcium chloride would be the most efficient one, melting the largest amount of ice in a certain amount of time

If the length of grass were measured after seeds germinated in different deicer solutions, then the seeds germinated in calcium magnesium acetate would have the longest length


Variables


Independent Variables:

Type of deicing substance: sodium chloride, calcium chloride, calcium magnesium acetate, rock sand, and beet extract

Dependent Variables:

Amount of liquid melted per 15 minutes (mL)

Length of grass from germinated seeds (cm)

Controls:

Type of grass seed

Time of germination

Amount of deicing substance

Concentration of solutions

Volume of ice cubes

Negative Control:

Water

bottles bottles2

Above: Solutions of deicers