It Keeps Going and Going and Going....

This is the saga of Halle's Science Fair project.  For her project Halle decided that she wanted to test three different battey brands to see which one was the most cost effective.  Halle learned a whole lot from doing this project.  These are the things that Brian and I learned from this project as well:

We are dumb.
Hmmmm, we are dumb.
Oh, and we are dumb.

Science is my thing.  I'm nerdy when it comes to science stuff, and I always aced my school projects.  I even have a degree in Biology/Chemistry.  But apparently that doesn't qualify me to help with a 5th grade science project.  Brian is a guy.  He's suppose to be naturally good at this stuff.  Nope.

Her teacher required her to submit a topic for her science fair two weeks before it was due for approval.  So that's only two weeks to do the project. We were busy the first week so she didn't get started until the week it was due.  Halle tells me that she needs to test three different batteries and do three separate trials.  She wants to see how long they last by hooking them up the old school way: connecting the batteries to light bulbs via wire.  She said that she did this at school in fourth grade with her Science teacher and that it was simple.  I believe her.

I took her list to the store:
3 brands of AAA batteries- 3 each
wire
9 light bulbs

After debating hard over which batteries to get in order to keep the cost down as low as possible, I decided on Rayovac Heavy Duty, Energizer Max, and the regular Duracell Coppertop.  I was also in the craft section and saw some jewerly beading wire which is what I grabbed because I did not want to go to the Man section (you know, the automotive, tools, confusing and foreign section of the store that I'm not familiar with) and try to find wire there.

I get home and Brian just looks at the wire and then at me like I'm an idiot.  The beading wire isn't really wire at all.  It's pretty much plastic.  But he tries to strip the plastic off to make it work. I'm proud of him for trying to be resourceful.  I'm not proud that he didn't know you can't stick any ole battery to any ole light bulb.  I didn't know this either, but I'm a girl so it's ok.  Even after YouTube-ing how to connect light bulbs to batteries he and she still couldn't get it to work.  She says, "Oh, maybe it's because we used 9 volt batteries in class."  I'm done with the project at this point.  I've aided my kid with her project and provided the emotional support (yes her science fair packet said that our job was to provide "emotional support."  What???)  and Brian is more than willing to help out because he's a control freak like that.  So I go off to do what I do best.  Take a nap.

I woke up to find that Halle and Brian got smart.  They said screw the lightbulbs (haha I seriously didn't see that pun coming) and wire.  They went to Home Depot and bought some small LED light devices that took AAA batteries.  They placed batteries in each light and planned on testing them by observing which light went out first.  Unlike flashlights, these fancy lights could stick to the project board thus making a good display item.  Ok.  This could work!  No more messing with finicky wires.  Each light took three AAA batteries, so he had to buy more batteries, too.  Now Halle only had five days to complete the project, but  Brian was positive that the lights would go out within a day.  Halle could then perform two more trials with plenty of time to spare.

So she turned on the lights and waited.  And waited.  She checked the lights every so often.  She went to bed.  The next morning Brian took the lights to work to monitor them since Halle had school.  He brought them home.  He was CERTAIN they would die that evening.  Waited.  We went to bed.  We woke up.  The lights were still on.  The Rayovacs started to dim, but were on nonetheless.  The Energizer and Duracell were still going strong.  He took them to work.  He came home.  Still on!  Just die, stupid batteries, die!!!

Day 3.  Duracell and Energizer going strong on the left, and the fading, yet resilient, Rayovac on the right

Halle is sweating because she knows she has to do repeated trials and she wasn't going to have enough time.  Why didn't we buy more lights and test them all at once, you ask?  Well because the lights were $6 each and that would be another $36 to the $60 we already spent on this "little" project.  For all we know anyway, the Energizer and Duracell could last for weeks.  She tells her teacher her dilemma and her teacher just tells her that she should have started sooner.  Sigh.

 So.... being the honest people we are we do what any good parents would do;  we decide to cheat.  Brian and I want to fake that the batteries died and lie to Halle about it so she can move on with her results and finish her project.  We even concoct a plan to make our cheating plausible.  Shhhhhh.  We don't want to tell Halle because we don't want her to know that we are cheaters and that cheating is ok.  Plus she's a high achiever and wouldn't ever go for that.  I'm thinking, it's just a stupid science fair project, right?

But of course my conscience takes over and I head to the store.... again.... to try to find a solution to Halle's problem.  Halle recommended we find an electric moving toy that drains the batteries down quickly.  That's a great idea, but I don't want to have to buy 9 expensive toys!

She is two days away from the project being due.  We walk into the Dollar Tree hoping to find some electronic cheap device that will drain down batteries quickly.  I'm praying as I'm walking through the store,  "Lord please help me find something cheap for this project since we are trying to be honest and give honest results and teach our daughter the right way to do things."  I turn the corner and I see...... ELECTRIC TOOTHBRUSHES!  For a dollar each!  Woohoo!  They take AA rather than AAA, but at least they only take one battery each.  They surely will drain a battery quickly if continuously left on.  I purchase nine of them.  I then go to Walmart again and buy three different types of AA batteries.  We get home and immediately started jamming the batteries into the toothbrushes to get them going as soon as possible.  The first three toothbrushes wouldn't turn on!  Ugghhhhh, stupid dollar store cheap crap!  Thankfully after some more praying and banging them on the counter they turn on.  We now have nine dancing buzzing toothbrushes!

the nine dancing toothbrushes

Halle was able to complete the rest of her project in 1 1/2 days and turn it in on time!  She recorded her results and worked on her board the whole evening.  And it looked really good!  She was exhausted and didn't get to bed until midnight.

You're itching for the results aren't you?  Without further ado, the Duracell batteries (at $0.94 each) lasted the longest.  They went over thirteen hours.  The Energizer lasted 12 hours, and the Rayovacs (at $0.24 each) lasted only about four hours.  But when you look at the cost comparison the Rayovacs lasted the longest for the price.  It would be a pain in the butt to change out the Rayovacs three times as often as the Duracell, but still the Rayovacs were more cost effective, which was what she was testing.  So the solution is to buy Duracells when they are on sale!

This is the finished project board.  Those LED lights got their spotlight afterall (again no pun intended) by lighting up her display board.

Wire $2
Project Board $6
Lightbulbs $7
Toothbrushes $9
LED lights $18
Batteries $41
Ink for our printer $45
Doing something the right way and learning from your mistakes Priceless

If you are ever an overnight guest in our home and forget to pack your toothbrush, don't fret.  We have plenty!

I am so glad this is over.