My Science ProjectBy Huda Farooqi

Big Question

How do mosquitoes stand on water and can humans stand on water using the same method?

Hypothesis I think mosquitoes

float on water because they have small pads on their feet

Humans can float on water using the small pads attached to their feet

Research Mosquitoes can stand on water. Mosquitoes have grooves on their legs Water “surface tension” helps mosquitoes

float Mosquitoes trap air in the grooves of their

legs and use surface tension to float Each mosquitoes can support 23 times the

weight of the mosquito. The mosquitoes legs create a

superhydrophobic (extremely water repelling) effect

Experiment Materials

Duct Tape Pool of Water 2 cardboard pieces 2 foam pieces 2 wood pieces

Experiment Materials

Experiment Step By Step Instructions

1. Go to a pool2. Take the cardboard and put duct tape around the

cardboard and your foot3. Then slowly get into the water standing4. See if you float5. Then take the foam board and take the cardboard and

put duct tape around the foam board and your foot6. Then slowly get in the water standing7. See if you float8. Then take the wood cardboard and put the duct tape

around the wood cardboard and your foot9. Then slowly get in to the water standing10. See if you float

Experiment Control/Variables

Control› Stepping into the water barefoot and

seeing if I float› How much weight I put onto the

board/water Variables

› Different materials for floating› The way the water moved on the board

Observations

The water did not push back as much as I thought it would

I felt that I had the best shot with foam feet

Water was not moving and was not a problem

Data – With Cardboard

Data – With Wood

Data – With Foam

Analysis of Data

Method Float

Barefoot No

Wood No

Foam No

Cardboard No

Conclusion

I found out that my hypothesis about how mosquitoes float was incorrect.

Mosquitoes do not float in water using pads but have grooves in their legs that makes them float

Humans cannot float by using pads made out of cardboard, wood and foam

References

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Why-Can-Mosquitoes-Walk-on-Water-60326.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito