Click the Techie Toolbox for tips and help to make the most of your time on the Web.

 Chapter 1: The Nature of Science

When Is the Internet the Busiest? Using the Internet, you can get information any time from practically anywhere in the world. It has been called the 'information superhighway." But does the lnternet ever get trafflc jams like real highways? Is the internet busier at certain times?

How long does it take data to travel across the Internet at different times of the day?

Think about using the Internet. When are you online most often? When do most other people use the Internet? Can you measure how busy the Internet is? Form a prediction about what time of day the Internet is the busiest.

Goals Observe when you, your friends, or your family use the Internet. Research how to measure the speed of the Internet. Identify the times of day when the Internet is the busiest in different areas of the country. Graph your findings and communicate them to other students.   Data Sources Weblinks View Student Data

Plan Observe when you, your family, and your friends use the Internet. Do you think that everyone in the world uses the Internet during the same times? How are you going to measure the speed of the Internet? Research different factors that might affect the speed of the Internet. What are your variables? How many times are you going to measure the speed of the Internet? What times of day are you going to gather your data?   Do Make sure your teacher approves your plan before you proceed. Complete your investigation as planned. Record all of your data in your Science Journal. Share your data by posting it in the form below.

Record in your Science Journal what time of day you found it took the most time to send data over the Internet. Compare your results with those of other students around the country. In which areas did data travel the most quickly?   Compare your findings to those of your classmates and other data that were posted on this Web site. When is the Internet the busiest in your area? How does that compare to different areas of the country? What factors could cause different results in your class? How do you think your data would be affected if you had performed this experiment during a different time of the year, like the winter holidays?

Results

Plant Data Trial Number Time of Day / Day of Week Speed Trial Number Time of Day / Day of Week Speed Trial Number Time of Day / Day of Week Speed Trial Number Time of Day / Day of Week Speed * City: * State: Select Your State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Not Applicable * School: * required