Daughter's Science Fair project on fishing line, want your predictions

[ajgraz]

Couldn't decide whether this is "freshwater" or "saltwater", so I put it in this subforum instead.

Middle school daughter is doing her science fair project on the effects of exposure to temperature and to common chemicals found on a boat on the strength of fishing line. We have the data already, but I'm looking for your "predictions" anyway to see if the "common wisdom" jibes with the reality

Anyway, took lengths of 4 lb test Izorline copolymer monofilament, and exposed them to these treatments for two weeks:

Temperature:
1) 40?C (lab oven)
2) 4?C (fridge)
3) 0?C (freezer)
4) -79?C (nitrogen freezer)

Chemical:
5) Fresh water (tap water run through Brita filter)
6) Salt water (water from 5) with 3.5% sea salt added)
7) Soda (Coca Cola)
8) Gasoline (E10, 87 octane)
9) 2-cycle oil (Walmart Supertech)
10) Spray sunscreen (Rite-Aid SPF30)
11) Fish attractant ("Bait Butter" brand shrimp paste)

Then tension tested to failure on a TA/XT-2 Analyzer (sort of a small-scale Instron Materials Tester), 10 reps per treatment.

Here's what I will tell you:

• Control (no treatment) measured 1420 +/- 110 grams.

Of the eleven experimental treatments:

• One showed no change at all versus the control
• Two showed "minor" reduction in strength vs. control in the -15% to -20% range
• Three showed "significant" reduction in the -20% to -25% range
• Two showed "major" reduction in the -25% to -30% range
• Three showed "devastating" reduction in the -30% to -40+% range

Now your "predictions"...which treatments fell into which ranges?

 

[veritas honus]

Re: Daughter's Science Fair project on fishing line, want your predictions

Couldn't decide whether this is "freshwater" or "saltwater", so I put it in this subforum instead.

Middle school daughter is doing her science fair project on the effects of exposure to temperature and to common chemicals found on a boat on the strength of fishing line. We have the data already, but I'm looking for your "predictions" anyway to see if the "common wisdom" jibes with the reality

Anyway, took lengths of 4 lb test Izorline copolymer monofilament, and exposed them to these treatments for two weeks:

Temperature:
1) 40?C (lab oven)
2) 4?C (fridge)
3) 0?C (freezer)
4) -79?C (nitrogen freezer)

Chemical:
5) Fresh water (tap water run through Brita filter)
6) Salt water (water from 5) with 3.5% sea salt added)
7) Soda (Coca Cola)
8) Gasoline (E10, 87 octane)
9) 2-cycle oil (Walmart Supertech)
10) Spray sunscreen (Rite-Aid SPF30)
11) Fish attractant ("Bait Butter" brand shrimp paste)

Then tension tested to failure on a TA/XT-2 Analyzer (sort of a small-scale Instron Materials Tester), 10 reps per treatment.

Here's what I will tell you:

• Control (no treatment) measured 1420 +/- 110 grams.

Of the eleven experimental treatments:

• One showed no change at all versus the control
• Two showed "minor" reduction in strength vs. control in the -15% to -20% range
• Three showed "significant" reduction in the -20% to -25% range
• Two showed "major" reduction in the -25% to -30% range
• Three showed "devastating" reduction in the -30% to -40+% range

Now your "predictions"...which treatments fell into which ranges?

OK... Predictions are futile as this has already occurred... so does this mean that these are my "postdictions"?

5: No change at all.
2 and 6: minor
1, 3, and 11: Significant
9 and 10: Major
4,7,and 8: Devestating

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Daughter's Science Fair project on fishing line, want your predictions

- One showed no change at all versus the control
Fresh water (tap water run through Brita filter)

- Two showed "minor" reduction in strength vs. control in the -15% to -20% range
4?C (fridge)
0?C (freezer)

- Three showed "significant" reduction in the -20% to -25% range
Salt water (water from 5) with 3.5% sea salt added)
Soda (Coca Cola)
Fish attractant ("Bait Butter" brand shrimp paste)

- Two showed "major" reduction in the -25% to -30% range
40?C (lab oven)
-79?C (nitrogen freezer)

- Three showed "devastating" reduction in the -30% to -40+% range
Gasoline (E10, 87 octane)
2-cycle oil (Walmart Supertech)
Spray sunscreen (Rite-Aid SPF30)

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Daughter's Science Fair project on fishing line, want your predictions

Thanks so far, yes these are "postdictions" since the data is in already.

Keep 'em coming, after a few more sets of "postdictions" I'll post up the numbers.

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: Daughter's Science Fair project on fishing line, want your predictions

in 5th grade I put two magnets with round holes on a ball point pen so one levitated- told teacher you could levitate trains/ cars with nothing but wind resistance for drag. I made an A---this was before bullett trains.

 

[LongLine]

Re: Daughter's Science Fair project on fishing line, want your predictions

Monofiliment is basically nylon so anything that weakens nylon should weaken it. Nylon can't handle acids, solvents, heat or UV. It also absorbs water. I'm guessing the coke & the gas harmed it the most. I'm also guessing the deep freeze did a number on it if there were any microscopic cracks in it. Sunscreen probably did the least damage, although the fish may not appreciate it.

Did she find any changes in elongation? I did a couple experiments a while back and found that copolymer (PLine) stretches a lot less under load than straight mono and also returns much closer to original length after load released. Most mfgs suggest line be stored in a "cool dry" place.

Please post results, she has me really curious.

Tom B.
(LongLine)

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Daughter's Science Fair project on fishing line, want your predictions

We did not record break distances, but I suppose I could go back and inspect the traces to get that data. I'd be interested too in comparing to pure nylon monofilament on stretch.

Not as many people playing as I would have expected, so here are the results:

Control (no treatment): 1420 +/- 110 grams

Temperature:
1) 40?C (lab oven) "minor", 1180 +/- 120 grams, -17%
2) 4?C (fridge) "significant", 1080 +/- 70 grams, -24%
3) 0?C (freezer) "major", 1010 +/- 80 grams, -28%
4) -79?C (nitrogen freezer) "devastating", 820 +/- 60 grams, -42%

Chemical:
5) Fresh water (tap water run through Brita filter) "significant", 1070 +/- 100 grams, -24%
6) Salt water (water from 5) with 3.5% sea salt added) "major", 1050 +/- 80 grams, -26%
7) Soda (Coca Cola) "devastating", 990 +/- 110 grams, -30%
8) Gasoline (E10, 87 octane) "significant", 1060 +/- 80 grams, -25%
9) 2-cycle oil (Walmart Supertech) no change within range of error, 1480 +/- 70 grams
10) Spray sunscreen (Rite-Aid SPF30) "minor", 1160 +/- 110 grams, -18%
11) Fish attractant ("Bait Butter" brand shrimp paste) "devastating", 990 +/- 80 grams, -30%

Really surprising results to me:

• 4?C was worse than 40?C; I expected heat to be worse.
• Water is pretty bad for fishing line!
• Gasoline was no harsher on the line than water...and less so than soda!
• The fish attractant was really bad for the line; must be more careful where I smear that foul gunk!
• 2-cycle oil had no effect. Never would have predicted that.

 

[veritas honus]

Re: Daughter's Science Fair project on fishing line, want your predictions

We did not record break distances, but I suppose I could go back and inspect the traces to get that data. I'd be interested too in comparing to pure nylon monofilament on stretch.

Not as many people playing as I would have expected, so here are the results:

Control (no treatment): 1420 +/- 110 grams

Temperature:
1) 40?C (lab oven) "minor", 1180 +/- 120 grams, -17%
2) 4?C (fridge) "significant", 1080 +/- 70 grams, -24%
3) 0?C (freezer) "major", 1010 +/- 80 grams, -28%
4) -79?C (nitrogen freezer) "devastating", 820 +/- 60 grams, -42%

Chemical:
5) Fresh water (tap water run through Brita filter) "significant", 1070 +/- 100 grams, -24%
6) Salt water (water from 5) with 3.5% sea salt added) "major", 1050 +/- 80 grams, -26%
7) Soda (Coca Cola) "devastating", 990 +/- 110 grams, -30%
8) Gasoline (E10, 87 octane) "significant", 1060 +/- 80 grams, -25%
9) 2-cycle oil (Walmart Supertech) no change within range of error, 1480 +/- 70 grams
10) Spray sunscreen (Rite-Aid SPF30) "minor", 1160 +/- 110 grams, -18%
11) Fish attractant ("Bait Butter" brand shrimp paste) "devastating", 990 +/- 80 grams, -30%

Really surprising results to me:

• 4?C was worse than 40?C; I expected heat to be worse.
• Water is pretty bad for fishing line!
• Gasoline was no harsher on the line than water...and less so than soda!
• The fish attractant was really bad for the line; must be more careful where I smear that foul gunk!
• 2-cycle oil had no effect. Never would have predicted that.

You were absolutely right... The results were suprising. Who would've thunk

It was an interesting experiment. Like yourself, I'm suprised more of us didn't get involved.

Thanks for taking the time to share this with us.

 

[LongLine]

Re: Daughter's Science Fair project on fishing line, want your predictions

That's really interesting. She should have rated pretty high at the science fair. Thanx for posting. I figured the coke would do a number on it as it is slightly acidic. Very curious about the water - does a brita filter take out the chlorine/fluorine that they put into it? Also surprised at the gas, I would of thought the alcohols would have eaten the plastizers.

Tom B.
(LongLine)