In a quick glance at the results, it is quite apparent that microwaves do not heat evenly. It also appears, that there is a distinct pattern. This is shown by similarities between multiple trials. Moreover, this experiment verified my belief that it would be hotter towards the center of the microwave (please note that the square represents the center). Unfortunately, though, this experiment is full of uncertainty. The possibilities for this to occur are as follows:
1. Paper and Cardboard- because of human error, there is no way to say that these items are exactly 6x6 inch squares. Because of this the grid is slightly off, and it is possible that my results could be significantly skewed. Also, the cardboard, being corrugated, is not exactly 1/4 inch.
2. Water- There is essentially no way to determine the amount of water that wet each sheet. Because of this it is not accurate to say that the sheets heated the same way. Importantly, though, discrepancies in the amount of water would be so small that they would not have a major impact on the data. Because of similarities between trials, I do not believe that the water is the source of that much uncertainty.
3. The nature of Fax Paper- this type of paper only turns black. Because of this, there is no way to calculate the exact spot at which the most heat is distributed. As with the water, though, because of similarities between trial, I do not believe that this is an important source of error.
4. The Microwave- Although the FDA has approved this microwave, there might still be radiation leakage. If this is true, the amount would be quite small and I do not believe it would effect the data. It can also be assumed that if there was any leakage it would be a constant amount each time the microwave was used. Therefore, all of the data collected would still be in proportion.
If I were to do this experiment again, I would use thinner sheets of cardboard. This would allow me to create, more easily, the 3D model of heat distribution. Another thing that would improve this experiment would be paper that turned either different colors or shades. This would also provide more accurate data. The final improvement that I would make in this project, is that I would repeat the whole procedure in different microwave models. These would allow me to understand if there was truly a distinct pattern of heat distribution shared between different models of microwaves.
