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Our quality control department is being moved to a different
location and will not be able to handle any projects for a few
weeks. It has come to our attention that GenChemCo at
Colorado Mountain College has acquired an excellent reputation
as a problem solving chemistry laboratory facility and we would
like you to conduct the following investigation for us:
The sales of our primary product "Gourmet Popcorn" seems to
be losing market share and a number of seemingly unknown brands
are creating serious competition. Please, conduct the following
research:
1.) Determine the percent by mass water content of our brand and
compare it to the competitors' brands.
2.) Determine the kernel density of each brand and relate it to
water content.
3) Correlate the kernel size with density and water content.
Samples of our brand as well as the competitor's brands are
included. We look forward to your test results and report.
Sincerely yours,
O.Blubbenbacher
C.E.O.
As you can see from the attached letter, we have been given
the contract to investigate potential quality parameters of
several brands of popcorn.
I would like each of you to get into your work groups and
brainstorm on the following two ideas:
1) how can we determine the percent by mass water content of
this product, and
2) what lab method can you devise to
implement your proposal? Since you have previously determined
the density of objects, measuring kernel density and kernel
size should be a straight forward procedure.
After coming up with a working hypothesis, and a plan for
testing that hypothesis, please show both to me. At that point
your group will be given adequate samples of the various
products to collect your data. Feel free to share data with
other work groups.
Each work group will submit a report (due two week from
today) which should include the following sections:
1 Initial Working Hypothesis.
2. Initial Working Plan.
-NOTE: Both of these should be essentially what you have shown
me from above, modified ONLY to the extent that they are more
11readable"; i.e. complete sentences, spelling, etc. You should
NOT change the hypothesis itself, regardless of whether it is
supported by your data or not.
3. Your Data.
--Please show ALL measurements and calculations.
4. Analysis of The Data.
--Does the data support your hypothesis? Why? Why not?
5. Further Steps Taken.
---Did you do anything beyond your initial working plan? Why?
What did you find?
6.A Letter of Response.
---Each group should submit a response directed to the client
outlining what you did, what you found, and how this addresses
the question proposed by the client.
All contents copyrighted (c) 1998
Peter Jeschofnig, Ph.D., Professor of Science, Colorado Mountain College
All Rights reserved
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