5. Conclusion

5.1 Practical Applications 

This experiment helps determine each type of mask's effectiveness in reducing the spread of saliva droplets, which could potentially carry viruses. This would allow people to make informed decisions when choosing masks to wear and protect themselves and others from COVID-19. Also, this experiment will inform the general public that bandanas are not effective in reducing the spread of saliva droplets, and it should not be worn outside.

This experiment will also allow mask manufacturers to use materials that are the most effective to create their masks to protect wearers better. 

5.2 Areas for further study

Another area for further study could be the distance of water mist travelling through different types of masks. The distance travelled by the water mist through the mask is important because it can determine how far the saliva droplets, which might contain viruses, can travel through one's mask. This would allow people to make informed decisions when choosing masks to wear and protect themselves and others from COVID-19.

The dependent variables are the types of masks that we are testing, and the independent variable is the distance travelled by the water mist through the masks. We can use the Schlieren setup as described in the 1.1 Background Research above and with adjustable mounts for the mirror and the camera to make the setup more stable, and use the Schlieren effect to visualise the distance of water mist travelled through the masks

5.3 Comparisons with other research

The results in this experiment match those of other researchers. According to researchers at the ISRO, “the N95 masks reduced a cough’s initial velocity by up to a factor of 10, and limit its spread to between 0.1 and 0.25 meters” (Rao, 2020). Adrian Cotton, MD, chief of medical operations at Loma Linda University Health, says that “N95 masks provide a higher degree of protection than a surgical mask or cloth mask because they can filter out both large and small particles when the wearer breathes” (Cotton, 2020). And according to Dr. Martin Fischer, a chemist, physicist and study author. “We attribute this (bandana increasing spread of water mist) to the textile breaking up those big particles into many little particles” (Fischer, 2020).