The student's science fair project investigates how the webbing of duck feet helps ducks swim. The project will test the swimming speeds of different flipper shapes. The independent variable is the flipper shape, the dependent variable is swimming speed, and the constant is water. The hypothesis is that a grebe-like bird flipper will yield the fastest average speed. Timing trials in a pool will test this hypothesis. Key terms researched include foot morphology, surface area, hydrodynamics, locomotion, and friction.

1. Research Paper
Name: Madison Browder #2 5D
Class: Bundy
Name of Science Fair Project: The Secrets of Duck Feet
Date: 11-11-11

2. The name of my Science Fair Project is “The Secrets of Duck Feet.” This project is
about how duck use their feet to swim. One of the reasons that I chose this project is because my
favorite sport is swimming. Also, I like to see swans and ducks and I like to see them swim
across ponds. Another reason why I chose this topic is because I love the movie swan lake.
In order to do my project I had to understand certain terms and concepts that are related to my
experiment. First, was foot morphology, the structure or end part of the leg of which someone
dances, runs, stands etc. Then, I researched the surface area which is the outside solid formation
of a restricted amount of room. In this topic the surfaced area would be the duck feet. Next, I
researched the hydrodynamics, which are the movements or forces of liquid. It is basically the
study of the behavior of liquids and their effects on objects. This would greatly affect
performance in swimming. Also, locomotion is the action of movement from one place to
another. Last, friction is two objects that rub together that cause an effect.
I must be able to test a question that I will try to answer when I do my science fair
project. The question that I will try to answer when I do my project is “how does the webbing of
duck feet help ducks to swim?” I think this is s a good question because it is relevant to my
project for the science fair. Also, it will be east to answer because that’s what I have to do for
my science fair experiment. That is why I chose this question for my science fair project.

3. In my experiment, I will use three types of variables. The first variable is called the
independent variable. An independent variable is the variable that is changed by the scientist in
the experiment. In an experiment only one thing can be changed at a time; this is called the
independent variable. The independent variable does not depend upon what happens to the other
variables. My independent variable is the different shapes of the webbing on the flippers. This
is the only variable that I will change because of changes that are caused by and depend upon
what changes are made to the independent variable. My dependent variable is the speed of
swimming that changes with each shape of flipper (independent variable). I also have a constant
variable. The constant variable in my science project is the water. The water always stays the
same.
A hypothesis is an educated guess about how things work and it must be testable and
measurable in order to reach a conclusion. I will test my hypothesis on testing three different
shapes of flippers and test whether the speed changes with each shape of flipper. I will measure
my hypothesis by using a stop watch and timing how long it takes to swim to the other side of a
pool. My hypothesis is that the grebe like bird will have the best average speed. When I conduct
my experiment, I will provide evidence that will support or disprove my hypothesis.

4. Bibliography
“Surface – Definition of Surface by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.”
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus – The Free Dictionary, Web. 10 Dec. 2011,
<http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Suface>.
“Morphology – Definition of Morphology by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and
Encyclopedia.” Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus – The Free Dictionary, Web. 10 Dec.
2011, <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Morphology>
“Locomotion - – Definition of Locomotion by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and
Encyclopedia.” Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus – The Free Dictionary, Web. 10 Dec.
2011, <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Locomotion>
“Hydronamics – Definition of Hydrodynamics by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and
Encyclopedia.” Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus – The Free Dictionary, Web. 10 Dec.
2011, <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Hydrodynamics>
“Friction – Definition of Morphology by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and
Encyclopedia.” Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus – The Free Dictionary, Web. 10 Dec.
2011, <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Friction>
“Feet – Definition of Morphology by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.”
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus – The Free Dictionary, Web. 10 Dec. 2011,
<http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Feet>
“Area – Definition of Morphology by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.”
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus – The Free Dictionary, Web. 10 Dec. 2011,
<http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Area>
“The Swimming Secrets of Duck Feet.” Science Fair Project Ideas, Answers, & Tools, Web. 10
Dec. 2011. <http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-
projects/project_ideas/aero_p014.shtml>