Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Hey kids! Try this one for your next Science Fair project! Do you own a light microscope? If so this will be the experiment for you! You will need to purchase a container of plain yogurt with active cultures, some microscope slides & cover slips, distilled water and a dropper. To get started you will need to set up your light microscope and have your materials close by. You will want to clean your microscope slides from any dust or particles first. Place a drop of your favorite brand of yogurt onto the slide, and one drop of distilled water, place the cover slip on top. Under low power find a section of your yogurt sample where it is most thin; this is where you will find bacteria! For a better view make sure you switch the power on your microscope to 400X. If you have a microscope with an oil immersion lens, it will give you an even better view of these small organisms. You will want to make a sketch of what you see under different magnifications. How many types of different types of bacteria could you find? What other foods have living bacteria in them? These are some of the findings you can report back on to your Science Fair Enthusiasts! This is a great first Science Fair Project! Good Luck!