How+to+Write+an+Abstract+and+Sample+Abstracts!

How to Write an Abstract! Open up the Microsoft Word document below to see the steps of "how to write a science fair abstract!" Remember to make extra copies of your abstract. This should be in the beginning of your research binder.
 * Sample Abstract #1

Effects of Marine Exhaust Water on Algae

This project in its present form is the result of bioassay experimentation on the effects of two-cycle marine engine exhaust water on certain green algae. The initial idea was to determine the toxicity of outboard engine lubricant. Some success with lubricants eventually led to the formulation of “synthetic” exhaust water which, in turn, led to the use of actual two-cycle engine exhaust water as the test substance.

Toxicity was determined by means of the standard bottle or “batch” bioassay technique. Scenedesmus qaudricauda and Ankistrodesmus sp. Were used as the test organisms. Toxicity was measured in terms of a decrease in the maximum standing crop. The effective concentration – 50 % (EC 50) for Scenedesmus quadricauda was found to be 3.75% exhaust water, for Ankistrodesmus sp. 3.1% exhaust water using the bottle technique.

Anomolies in growth curves raised the suspicion that evaporation was affecting the results; therefore, a flow-through system was improvised utilizing the characteristics of a device called a Biomonitor. Use of the Biomonitor lessened the influence of evaporation, and the EC 50 was found to be 1.4% exhaust water using Ankistrodesmus sp. as the test organism. Mixed populations of various algae gave an EC 50 of 1.28% exhaust water.

The contributions of this project are twofold. First, the toxicity of two-cycle marine engine exhaust was found to be considerably greater than reported in the literature (1.4% vs 4.2%). Secondly, the benefits of a flow-through bioassay technique utilizing the Biomonitor was demonstrated.

JUNIOR ||

Sample Abstract #2

Do Vitamin A Tablets Affect Plants

The purpose of this project was to determine if Vitamin A tablet have any effect on tomato plants. A total of twelve Rutgers tomato plants each two inches tall were planted in identical individual plastic pots using two cups of potting soil.

Each plant received the same amount of water and sunlight during the three week experiment. The twelve plants were divided into four groups of three plants each. One vitamin A tablet was added to each of the three plants in the first group by burying the tablet one inch from the stem and one inch deep. Two vitamin A tablets were added to the second group of three plants in a similar manner. The third group of three plants had three tablets planted in the soil. The fourth group of three plants had no vitamin A tablets added to the soil and served as the control group.

The height of each plant was measured and recorded at the start of the experiment and every 7 days thereafter. At the end of the experiment (21 days) the stems were cut across at a height of 3 inches. Experimental groups showed less development and slower growth rates than plants in the control group. The data was analyzed and the conclusion was drawn that giving vitamin A tablets to tomato plants did not improve growth as each of the three experimental groups failed to produce plants that were taller or had thicker stems than those in the control group.