Week 3: Testing and Experimentation (In Class Meeting)

All materials were brought to class. A 3D printed mold was created to change the shape of the hydrogel. The group began testing and creating hydrogels using 49 grams of water for every 1 gram of calcium chloride while different amounts of sodium alginate were added. Also, calculations were taken in order to determine the volume of the 3D printed mold. The experimentation was successful and helped to learn how the hydrogels work. A cone-shaped hydrogel was created in the 3D printed mold after making circular shaped hydrogels.

These are the materials that were brought to class:

The 3D printed mold include the white cap and bowl-like shape as shown to the right. The sodium alginate is in the large bag while the calcium chloride is in the white bottle. Pipets and test tubes were also used.