More of Janice VanCleave's Wild, Wacky, and Weird Biology Experiments by Janice VanCleave

Author:Janice VanCleave [VanCleave, Janice]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc

STRONGER

PURPOSE To determine how sniffing affects the intensity of smells.

MATERIALS vanilla extract

2 cotton balls

baby food jar

timer

PROCEDURE

1. Place a few drops of the vanilla on one of the cotton balls.

2. Drop the moistened cotton ball into the jar.

3. Hold the opening of the jar under, but not touching, your nose.

4. Breathe normally for one or two breaths and note the strength of the smell of the vanilla.

5. Discard the cotton ball in the jar.

6. Wait 5 minutes, then repeat steps 1 and 2 with the other cotton ball, again holding the opening of the jar under, but not touching, your nose.

7. Take a good sniff by inhaling deeply.

RESULTS The smell of the vanilla is stronger when you take a good sniff than when you breathe normally.

WHY? In normal breathing, some of the air carrying the vanilla molecules (smallest particles of a substance) fills the nasal cavity but most of the air passes through the nasal cavity and into the back of the throat. When you take a good sniff, currents of air are drawn upward, flowing over the chemoreceptors (cells that are stimulated by smell or taste) located high up at the back of your nose. Sniffing also brings in more air containing the vanilla molecules.

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