Results

In order to conduct the experiment, we placed five bowls full of water on the table.  The bowls were filled with equal amounts of ordinary tap water.  Each substance (vinegar, sugar, salt, baby powder, and lemon juice) was added to the water in equal amounts and diluted completely except for the baby powder, which did not dilute properly.  This may be because baby powder floats but we can not be certain of this.  The water was at room temperature.  We taped the batteries together and tested them with the electric meter.  It was set at 5m DCV (the most sensitive setting for DC power).  It read an electrical resistance of 17 OHMS.  We wired the batteries and tested that the wiring worked to conduct electricity.  This functioned properly with the same 17 OHMS result.

The vinegar, when wired and tested, conducted electricity with a resistance of ¥ OHMS (nearly 2000 OHMS), a very high electrical resistance.  Sugar presented a tiny needle movement that registered a resistance of ¥ OHMS.  It was much further from 2000 OHMS than vinegar.  Salt presented the same result as sugar with a resistance of ¥ OHMS.  Baby powder did not react to the electrical current in any way.  The same happened with lemon juice.  Plain tap water alone registered a resistance of ¥ OHMS with a very small needle movement.

Our hypothesis was rejected in part.  Our hypothesis was that the order of conductivity would be (most conductive to least conductive) vinegar, lemon juice, salt, sugar, and baby powder.  The results showed that the actual order was vinegar, sugar – salt (equal OHMS), and baby powder – lemon juice (equal OHMS).  The element that surprised us by its lack of conductivity was lemon juice.  However, most elements respected our hypothesis: sugar and salt in the middle, vinegar at the top, and baby powder at the bottom.  On the following page (below), you will see a graph of needle movement on a scale of one to one hundred (zero being no needle movement and one hundred being the extremity of the dial).  These measures are approximate and are only displayed in order to illustrate the contrast in needle movement.