Group Members

Group Leader - Shawn Liew Hong Wei (S2-05)

Group Members:

1. Sean Loh Tze Wen (S2-06)
2. Tobias Tang Kun Mun (S2-06)
3. Patrick Tan Jing Long (S2-06)

Overview of the Team

1. What main theory or concept is this project based on?


Fastest Ball Challenge: The main concept during this project was to find the optimal angle to position the ramp at so that the ball could travel from Point A to Point B in the shortest time possible. We will also have to put the ball at the tip of the ramp so that the ball can convert the greatest amount of gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy. According to the law of conversation of energy: energy cannot be destroyed or created; It can only be converted from one form to another. This project also shows that a steeper angle will not necessary make the ball travel faster; as there could be more resistance force from the higher speed and steeper angle.


Extraction of Caffeine: Extraction of caffeine involves the usage of different types of filtration in order to obtain caffeine. The methods used would be by using a filter paper, filtering funnel and rotary evaporator. This project also shows how can science (chemistry) be used to in food.

2. What do you know about this theory or concept?


Fastest Ball Challenge: According to the law of conversation of energy - energy cannot be destroyed or created. The main objective was to find the optimal angle where there would be the most efficient angle to convert the potential energy into kinetic energy.


Extraction of Caffeine: Caffeine can be obtained via different methods of extraction and mixing. A followed sequence of combination of the different types of filtration and extraction can obtain caffeine from a solution.

Objectives

1. What does the group need to accomplish by the end of the project?

Extraction of caffeine: The group had to successfully extract caffeine from teabags by following the procedures under guidance.
Fastest Ball Challenge: The group will have to find the optimal angle so that the ball can get from Point A to Point B in the shortest time possible.

2. How will you know whether or not is your project has been successful?

Extraction of caffeine: When small white particles could be seen in the flask after the solution has been evaporated by the rotary evaporator, this would mean that caffeine has been successfully extracted.
Fastest Ball Challenge: When the fastest time has been achieved among all the possible angles tested.

Achievements

1. What did you achieve by completing this project? When answering this questions, consider both personal and academic development.

We were able to understand the concepts that were behind the projects better. For the extraction of caffeine, we understood the usage of the necessity for the different types of filtration and extraction better. By using this procedure, we could successfully extract caffeine.

For the fastest ball challenge, we understood how the angle of the ramp could affect the amount of force acting on it. We could also understand the usage of trigonometry to determine the angle of the ramp more accurately. 

2. Post photographs and videos that you recorded during the project here.

3. Describe how the design of your experiment or the design of the product allowed your to achieve the project desired outcome.

Fastest Ball Challenge: The design of the setup was already provided. Our role was to adjust the angle of the ramp to ensure that it could get from Point A to Point B in the shortest time possible. By adjusting the angle of the ramp and recording down the results, we could determine the angle that could be used to make the ball travel quickly from Point A to Point B.


Extraction of Caffeine: The equipments and instructions has been provided for us. Our role was to follow the instructions, understand it and execute it. The equipments has been designed so that we could use it to extract different types of solids like caffeine. By using equipments such as the filtering funnel, filter paper,   flask, Bünche filter and the rotary evaporator, we could successfully extract caffeine.

4. Identify possible limitations (restrictions) to your project. When answering this question, consider the design of your experiment or the design of your product.

Fastest Ball Challenge: The oil could not be uniformly applied on the ramp, this could affect the results when the ramp was oiled. The ball could also not be released in the same manner as the previous time as there could be some amount of force due to human error. This will affect the time significantly.

Extraction of Caffeine: Not all impurities could be extracted as there could be some left due to human
error. Some of it would be water that was left behind by wet equipments.

5. Suggest possible improvements that could be made in order to minimize the limitations that you have identified.


Fastest Ball Challenge: The ramp could have been oiled using an equipment and after each run so that the ramp could be oiled in a uniform manner.

Extraction of Caffeine: We could have been more careful to ensure that impurities are not present in the equipments at all times and the extraction of impurities could be repeated more times.

Questions from Mentor