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Adapted from "Super
Science Blue", May 1994.
Somebody should figure
it out. Why not you?
Think:
The longer you smell a scent, the weaker it seems to get. But the scent
doesn't change — your nose just gets tired of it. Soon,
you can't smell the scent at all! Predict: Which does your nose get tired
of fastest: strong smells or weak smells?
1. Label Three Cups
As Follows:
- quarter-strength
vanilla
- half-strength
vanilla
- full-strength
vanilla
2. Place a cotton
ball inside each cup.
3. Take the quarter
strength cup to a friend who is not your partner. She or he will drip
three drops onto the cotton ball.
4. Make sure
your partner has a watch ready. Close your eyes. When your partner
says "start," hold the cup right under your nose and breathe
in. (DON'T take a big sniff — just breathe normally.)
Move the cup away and breathe out. Keep breathing in and out this
way. Your partner will keep track of the time.
5. When you can't
smell the vanilla anymore, say "stop." Your partner will
record the time it took for the scent to fade.
6. Trade places
with your partner and repeat steps 4–5.
7. Repeat steps
3–6 using half-strength vanilla, and then full-strength vanilla.
Questions
To Think About
Which smell did your
nose tire of the fastest?
Which did your nose sense the longest?
When could that be important for your survival? (Hint: When are odors
strongest — when the source is close or far away?)
Which smell do you think you could detect longer: vanilla or peppermint
extract? Design an experiment to find out.
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