The Effect of Varying Chemical Concentrations, Type of Light, and Duration of Light Exposure on Illuminance
Our experiment attempted to discover which conditions of the factors strontium aluminate concentration, zinc sulfide concentration, type of light exposed to the paint, and duration of light exposure affected the illuminance, measured in lux, of our glow-in-the-dark paint mixture. We measured our illuminance with a light sensor in near-perfect darkness and analyzed out data with a four-factor Design of Experiment (DOE). We built a dark box for testing, mixed our glow-in-the-dark powders into painted sheets of poster board. We then placed the poster board into our dark box, and measured the illuminance from the glow with the light sensor. We ran two four-factor DOEs for a total of 38 trials. Illuminance measured, we calculated the interactions of the effects of the factors and found that the interaction between the type of light and duration of exposure to light produced a significant effect on the data. Ultimately, the highest concentrations of strontium aluminate and zinc sulfide exposed to ultraviolet light for five minutes produced the highest reading, 43.6 lux. The significant effects in this project are concentration of strontium aluminate, the type of light providing light photons to the compound, and the interaction between the type of light and duration of light exposure.
Research Done By:
Michael Mazur
Cousino High School
Gregory Schroeder
Lake Shore High School
Warren Consolidated Schools