Bri+Mosher

Title- Shoe Shocked: The Effect of Vitamin E on Statically Charged Polypropylene and Shredded Rubber

Problem- Does Vitamin E dispel static electricity between polypropylene and rubber?

Names- Bri Mosher and Phil Hietter

Background Information- Static electricity has become a major nuisance in the technological and industrial worlds because of the power shortages and dangerous electrical blowouts it causes. Closer to home, the tennis courts of the local high school have also been a haven for static sparks. This zap is due to an imbalance of charges between two materials of varying triboelectric value that are brought into contact. The continuous impact of the athletic tennis shoes against the modular tennis court surface causes electron transfer between the two materials and charge is only balanced when the wire fence surrounding the tennis courts is touched, resulting in the shock experienced by tennis court users. From a recent study, vitamin E has been successful in dispelling static electricity between materials of similar triboelectric value by removing the radicals that make materials reactive and more susceptible to static cling. To further test and simulate this process, the polypropylene tennis court surface will be charged and coated in vitamin E to test whether the rubber material, which is the outsole of a tennis shoe, will still undergo the attraction leading to static electricity. (This last sentence confuses me, the entire background is well written and you do a good job explaining what is going on, but i'm not sure what you trying to say with your last sentence. By saying "test" and using the future tense "will" I am lead to believe that you are saying you will perform another test on the tennis court, but you do not have that in your procedure or methods. You might want to reword this to clear up this confusion Trevor)

Hypothesis- If Vitamin E dispels static electricity, then the mass of the shredded rubber clinging to the the Vitamin E coated and charged polypropylene platform will be lower than the mass of shredded rubber from the charged non-coated platform.

Materials-
 * 2 pairs of Safety Goggles ($5.05 each x 2= $10.10)
 * Van de Graaff Generator ($170.00)
 * 2 Polypropylene Tiles- Dimensions: 12”x12”x3/4” ($4.00 each x 2= $8.00)
 * 1 Bag of Shredded rubber ($13.50- Colored Rubber Website)
 * [|__http://www.coloredrubber.com/colored-rubber-granules/38-buffings#description__]
 * 100 ft of Metal Fence Wire ($3.50/roll)
 * 1 Large Plastic Container ($11.99- Target)
 * 2 Priority Mail Medium Flat Rate Box-Dimensions: 12”x3.5”x14” ($0.00)
 * 2 oz Bottle of Spring Valley Vitamin E Oil ($3.96- Walmart)
 * 1 sheet of Wax Paper ($2.50- Walmart)
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Balance and Weigh Boat ($207.00)
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Total Cost: $430.55

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Methods-
 * 1) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Put on safety goggles.
 * 2) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Evenly disperse the shredded rubber into a cardboard box.
 * 3) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pour the 2 oz bottle of vitamin E oil into the plastic container.
 * 4) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Coat both sides of a polypropyene tile in vitamin E oil tub.
 * 5) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Wind the metal fence wire underneath the coated polypropylene tile (This set-up is very complex and difficult to visualize. You might want to include an image to make it easier to understand Trevor)
 * 6) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Connect the metal fence wire to the Van de Graaff generator. The polypropylene platform should be suspended 4 inches above the cardboard box.
 * 7) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Place a sheet of wax paper directly under the platform, and lay the cardboard box on top of the wax paper.
 * 8) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Set the Van de Graaff Generator to low voltage and turn on. NOTE: Make sure to have experienced adult supervision when working with the Van de Graaff generator. Observe and record. (Good job being specific with your safety precautions Trevor)
 * 9) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After 1 minute, turn off the generator and remove the box from underneath the platform, but leave the wax paper sheet so that it can catch the pieces of rubber that release from the platform.
 * 10) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Observe and record after 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes have passed.
 * 11) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">After 10 minutes, measure the mass of the SBS rubber from the wax paper sheet that has fallen from the coated polypropylene platform. Record this mass in the data table.
 * 12) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Loosen the remaining rubber (if any) from the polypropylene platform and record the mass in a separate weigh boat. Record.
 * 13) <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Repeat steps 1-12, except DO NOT coat the polypropylene tile in vitamin E oil.