Different kinds of peanuts will produce different ranges of data. The data provided in the answers are based on a brand of oily blanched peanuts. Some blanched peanuts broke relatively easily, and a smaller range of 5-30 centimeters was needed. A brand of Spanish peanuts broke less easily and required a range of 0.5 meters to 3 meters. One bag is usually sufficient for every 12 students if the students work in groups of three to four.
Some students are highly allergic to peanuts and peanut oil.
Check with the students before conducting the experiment. This investigation is broken down into four parts. Making a Conjecture - Understanding the Context Students should be given an opportunity individual or in groups to formulate initial conjectures and then discussed as a class using either handouts or the internet resources. Part of this work could be done as a pre-assignment. The experiment can be conducted either in-class or outside of class with students pooling their data for better results.