Science Fair 2010-2011

By Max Geiger

Question

Does chewing gum affect your balance?

Hypothesis

• If I give someone a piece of gum to chew, then they will be able to stand longer on 1 foot.

Research 1• Some things that affect your balance are • “Middle ear medical conditions• Low blood pressure• Low blood sugar levels (BGLs) or hypoglycemia• Blurred vision• Muscle weakness• Skeletal weakness• Some form of disability e.g. physical, mental, emotional anxiety• Substance addictions e.g. alcohol, drugs• Prescribed medications” >http://

au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091217220857AAsmSEb

Research 2

• Balance is affected by several things. Your eyes, your ears, and your skin, all play important roles. At the same time, you are using your motor skills to correct your balance. Releasing tension would be helpful.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balance_(ability)

Research 3

• Chewing gum has many effects on your health!• Some of them are with your teeth and sometimes help

you lose weight but it has been proven that it can help you release anxiety and tension! Gum can also indirectly increase heart rate and increase the amount of oxygen in your body and thus improve performance! By both boosting your performance and releasing tension this will probably give people better balance. http://naturalhealthezine.com/how-does-gum-chewing-affect-your-health/

Research 4• Chewing gum has been proven to help with alertness and

multitasking for many years, as matter of fact gum was provided in rations in WWI.

• http://www.wrigley.com/global/benefits-of-chewing/focus.aspx • Peppermint is also something that can help your brain.

Peppermint is commonly found in gum. Air scented with peppermint will help reduce or eliminate careless mistakes and also increase energy. Gum also usually works like aromatherapy where when you eat it some of the flavour goes up to you nose so that you smell it. Aromatherapy is most often used to increase performance of the brain.

• http://www.thinkgum.com/howandwhy.html

Procedure

• I selected 10 people between the ages of 7 and 50 years old. I will test their balance on their preferred foot 3 times and average their results. Then I will give all of them a piece of gum to chew. While chewing the gum I will test their balance on the same foot 3 times and average those results. Finally I will compare the results and determine if chewing gum affected the results and if it increased the individual’s ability to balance.

Rules

• Subject can not move arms about while testing.• Subject can not place foot on top of foot or on

the ground.• May only stand on 1 foot• Subject can not use different feet during testing.• May only have 3 attempts to balance unless

testing is majorly interfered with. Such as a person shoving them over.

Constants and variables

• My constant is having and not having gum. The timer, and the flavor of gum.

• My variable is the person. Gender & age, the location, the foot, and the foot gear.

Results• Person 1average without gum: 35.56 sec• With gum: 50 sec• Person 2 average without gum: 62sec• With gum: 35 sec• Person 3 average without gum: 14• With gum: 19• Person 4 average without gum: 74• With gum: 132• Person 5: average without gum: 60• With gum: 138• Person 6 average without gum: 73• With gum: 83• Person 7 average without gum: 33• With gum: 143• Person 8 average without gum: 128• With gum: 162• Person 9 average without gum: 70• With gum: 108• Person 10 average without gum: 55 sec• With gum: 143 sec

Graph.

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Test 1Test 2Test 3Test 1 with gumTest 2 with gumTest 3 with gum

Graph 2

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Graph 3

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Series1Series2

Conclusion

• In conclusion I have found that in 10/10 people gum affected their balance, and that 9/10 people their balance time was increased.

Bibliography• What affects balance. (2008). Retrieved 1 6, 2011, from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balance_(ability): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balance_(ability)

• Bob. (2009, 1 1). Chewing gum. Retrieved 1 6, 2011, from http://naturalhealthezine.com/how-does-gum-chewing-affect-your-health/: http://naturalhealthezine.com/how-does-gum-chewing-affect-your-health/

• gum, T. (2010). How does chewing gum affect your health. Retrieved 1 6, 2011, from http://www.thinkgum.com/howandwhy.html< : http://www.thinkgum.com/howandwhy.html<

• what affects balance. (n.d.). Retrieved 1 6, 2011, from http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091217220857AAsmSEb: http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091217220857AAsmSEb