The Amount of Residual Material on Commercially and Non-Commercially Produced Apples
The purpose of the experiment was to discover which category of apples had a higher level of surface contaminates: non-commercially produced or commercially produced apples. The independent variable is the type of apple being washed, yielding a dependent variable of total dissolved solids (TDS), measured in parts per million (ppm), in the water after washing. Apples, the independent variable, are switched between commercially and non-commercially produced populations. The dependent variable, TDS, is measured with a total dissolved solids meter. A TDS reading of one ppm would mean that for every liter of water one milligram is contaminated. A minimum of 75 trials for each apple population (commercial and noncommercial) was conducted to ensure that the data was a good representation of the population and resembled a normal data curve. Throughout the course of this experiment, the researchers discovered, via conduction of a two-factor design of experiment, there was a significance in the difference of residue in the two populations of apples. The original hypothesis stated that the noncommercial apples would have the least residual contamination the research accepted this hypothesis, as the data collected showed that commercial apple has between 1.1063 ppm to 3.8997 ppm more of TDS. Ultimately, it was founded that commercial apples carry a larger amount of residue compared to the noncommercial apples. This research helps to impart the knowledge of residual material left on apples. Also, it provides an easy method for the average person to test the cleanliness of their produce and raise awareness of the potentially dangerous lingering substances on apples.
Research Conducted By:
Danielle Didia
Warren Mott High School
Jennifer Le
Sterling Heights High School
Warren Consolidated Schools