UV Bead Lab

Name: Sam Warren Per: 1

Problem/Background:
UV rays are short, invisible wavelengths that come from the sun. UV rays
increase in intensity while it increases in height. The intensity reduces when the sun
gets blocked by the clouds or anything else. UV rays also reflect off snow, pavement,
sand, and water.
The average person from the US gets about 360 mrem every year.
Some beneficial effects of UV rays are that it triggers vitamin d, helps some
skin conditions, helps moods, helps some animals vision, aids some insects
navigation, and is also useful for disinfection and sterilization. Some harmful effects
of UV rays are that is causes skin cancer, causes sunburn, damages immune system,
damages eyes, damages skin, weakens plastics, and it also fades colors.
The government recommends people to put on sunscreens, hats, and
sunglasses when under the sun.
People can protect themselves by staying out of the sun at 11 am and 4 pm as
well as staying in a shady place during the afternoon.
We then wanted to know, how UV much radiation humans get from no sun at
all, shade, and direct sunlight.

Question: Does changing from shade, to partial shade, to direct sunlight affect the
UV beads the most?
Hypothesis: If changing from shade, to partial shade, I think direct sunlight will
affect the UV bead the most.
Materials: UV beads
Procedures:
describe all your procedures and list the steps (like a
cookbook recipe)
1. Find out which work spaces will be used (Find complete darkness, shade, and
direct sunlight).
2. Clean up those three workspaces, so they can be controlled (Make sure people
do not block sunlight).
3. Then find UV beads (Get the beads from the teacher

4. Then put the beads in complete darkness (Go to the designated spot that is
dark)
5. Record the data (Look at the color of the bead).
6. Then put the beads in shade (Go to the designated spot that is in the shade).
7. Record the data (Look at the color of the bead)
8. Then put the beads in direct sunlight (Go to the designated spot that is in the
direct sunlight)
9. Record the data (Look at the color of the bead).
10. Compare with the group (Make sure everyone has the same data)
11. Make a graph from the data
12. Draw conclusions from the outline
include:
The variables that we are going to control is the setting. We are going to go to
a complete dark place with the UV beads. It is a closet in the science room. Then we
are going to a shady place. It is in the amphitheater. Then we are going to go to a
place in direct sunlight. It is above the amphitheater.
We are testing: Does changing from shade, to partial shade, to direct sunlight
affect the UV beads the most? We all hypothesize that direct sunlight will affect the
UV beads the most. We think that way because direct sunlight will change the UV
beads the most because it direct sunlight gives out the most UV rays.
Our control group is the setting.
We are going to the beads from uncontrolled light by not letting people stand
in front of the beads. In the complete darkness, it would not matter. In the shade, it
would not matter that much either. In direct sunlight, nobody should be allowed to
stand in front of the beads.
Data:
Setting
Darkness

Observations
No color change, 0 on the scale

Shade

Changed a lot in color, 5 on the scale

Direct sunlight

Changed to the highest level, 6 on the scale

Graph:

The Effect of Darkness, Shade, and

Direct Sunlight on UV rays
7

UV Scale

6
5
4
3

UV Levels

2
1
0
darkness

shade
Locations

DS

Analyze and Conclude

In this lab, we found that direct sunlight had the most UV rays coming through
and that the darkness had least UV rays coming through. We tested if changing
from shade, to partial shade, to direct sunlight would affect the UV beads. We
hypothesized that direct sunlight would affect the UV beads the most.
Our hypothesis was right because if the UV beads had a 0 in the darkness on the
UV scale, a 5 in shade, and a 6 in direct sunlight, then direct sunlight affected the
beads the most. Direct sunlight had the biggest affect on the beads because on
the UV scale, darkness had no affect; shade had a big affect, but direct sunlight
had the biggest affect. Therefore, our hypothesis was correct.
We found the amount of UV radiation was greatest in the direct sunlight.
Because we are in first period, our experiment was going on around 9 AM. On
the Skincancer.org website, they recommend limiting your time in the sun from
10 AM to 4 PM, and that the amount of UV exposure can actually much greater at
noon than 9 AM.
Since we could only do our experiment near 9, we didnt get to see the full affects
upon the beads. Also, our data may be incorrect because the shade might not
have been shady enough.
My recommendation because of the research that I did is to always wear
sunscreen, protective clothing, and try to find shade or shelter during the period
from 10 AM to 4 PM.

In conclusion, UV rays have the most affect from 10 AM to 4 PM in the direct

sunlight.
Bibliography: http://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/You-Me-and-UV/ScienceIdeas-and-Concepts/Positive-and-negative-effects-of-UV