Class: BE210
Group: 102_A2
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Osteoporosis is a condition characterized by the progressive loss and thinning of bone tissue. This is caused primarily from an inadequate supply of calcium, a mineral that makes bones dense and fracture-resistant.  Osteoporosis affects 10 million Americans, mostly women.  It is defined as a skeletal disorder characterized by compromised bone strength, predisposing an individual to an increased risk of bone fracture.

    Based on the findings of the “Fracture Strength of Chicken Bones: Impact Pendulum Testing” lab, cross-sectional area is not a factor in determining fracture energy [See Appendix Graph 1].  When the fracture energies of bone samples were plotted against their respective cross-sectional areas, a linear regression was applied to the data.  The corresponding R2 value of 0.0038 indicated no correlation between the two variables.  This finding serves as a basis for the design of this proposed experiment, in that the effect of a different characteristic of chicken bone on fracture energy can be tested without having to factor in the effect of cross-sectional area on said fracture energy.

    This lab aims to expand on the previous lab and determine whether calcium content affects the fracture energy of chicken bones.  This will be accomplished through using the impact pendulum to test calcified and de-calcified bones and then comparing the average fracture energies of these two sets of bones using statistical analysis.  Decal Stat™ is the solution that will be used to extract calcium from the chicken bone samples in this experiment.  Decal Stat de-calcifies bones by reacting hydrochloric acid with the calcium hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) present in the bones.