In this portfolio activity, you will be writing the methodology section for a hypothetical experiment on the solution that you have chosen to research. A methodology section must be easily understood by others in order to analyze the experiment results. This section also helps anyone who is looking to replicate the experiment to validate any results. It is up to you on how you would want your experiment to be carried out. Remember, this should be an experiment that is testing an improvement idea on your solution. For example, if you decide that feeding red algae to cows is only a solution to a small amount of methane produced, you might want to test the addition of red algae being added to other methane-producing animals. Answers to the following questions should be included in your methodology section: What is the experiment testing for? What is the most appropriate sample size? What variable will be manipulated? (independent variable) What variable will be measured based on the changes made to the independent variable? (dependent variable) How will you collect your data? How will you know if your experiment is successful? What safety precautions need to be taken? Waste disposal is always an important consideration for any scientific experiment. In your quest for answers to nature's mysteries, you always want to dispose of lab materials in the safest and least impactful way possible. One of the first places to look for how best to dispose of materials is the Safety Data Sheet or SDS. This document includes a lot of information about the substance including guidelines for proper disposal. For this experiment, try searching for red algae AND SDS. You can also search for disposal of red algae. Look for references that talk specifically about disposing of the material in a lab setting.
The experiment will be testing the effectiveness of adding red algae to different methane-producing animals in reducing methane emissions. The sample size will consist of various animals such as cows, sheep, and goats.
The independent variable that will be manipulated is the addition of red algae to the animals' diets. The dependent variable that will be measured based on the changes made to the independent variable is the amount of methane emitted by each animal.
Data will be collected using gas emission measurement tools to quantify the methane emissions from the animals before and after the addition of red algae to their diets. Additionally, the animals' diet and behavior will be closely monitored throughout the experiment.
The experiment will be considered successful if there is a significant decrease in methane emissions from the animals after the addition of red algae to their diets.
Safety precautions that need to be taken include wearing appropriate protective gear while handling the animals and red algae. Additionally, all lab materials and waste will be disposed of according to guidelines provided in the Safety Data Sheet for red algae to ensure proper and safe disposal.