Living in Our Ocean of Air
Project Pictures
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Living in Our Ocean of Air Project Pictures |
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Task 1: Challenge 1 Demonstrate that air is made of matter. Air has mass and takes up space. Conclusion: Air is made of matter. Task 1: Challenge 2 Demonstrate that air exerts pressure. The balloon inflated uniformly. Conclusion: Air can exert pressure. |
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Charle's Law The opening of a 1-liter soda bottle was covered by a deflated balloon. A student desk lamp was placed close to the bottle without touching the bottle. The heat from the lamp was transferred to the inside of the bottle by radiation. The convection currents inside the bottle cause air to rise into the balloon. The balloon inflated. When heat was removed, the balloon deflated. Conclusion: As the temperature of air increases, the volume increases. Pressure decreases as the air spreads out between the bottle and the balloon. Rising hot air generates an area of low pressure. As air cools, it sinks. The volume decreases. The increased density of air results in an area of high pressure. |
Boyle's Law Books were stacked one at a time onto a capped syringe of air. The initial volume of 30 cc of air was compressed to 19 cc after 5 books were used. The books were removed one at a time. The volume of the air in the syringe rebounded to 29 cc. The data was displayed using a scatter plot graph. Conclusion: As the pressure on a sealed cylinder of gas increases, the volume decreases. |
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The Water Cycle Water was added to a sealed 1-liter soda bottle. Heat was supplied by a student desk lamp. As the air moved across the water, friction stripped the top layer of molecules. The water vapor rose with the warm air. It condensed on the cooler side of the bottle and at the top. When the lamp was turned off and pulled away from the bottle, heavy condensation occurred. Conclusion: Warm air can hold more water than cooler air. |
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Task 2: Challenge 2 Demonstrate how the atmosphere works. A thermometer with the bulb shaded by a piece of paper was placed inside a ziploc plastic bag of air. A second thermometer was prepared, but not placed in a plastic bag. The temperature of each thermometer was read at the start of the test. Both were placed on the ground in the sun. The temperature reading was taken again after several minutes. The temperature inside the bag rose several degrees higher than that recorded by the bare thermometer.
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Results varied during the day. Mid-morning and early afternoon classes saw as much as a 10-degree Celsius difference between the thermometers with the higher temperature inside the bag. Afternoon classes observed a difference between the thermometers of 4 degrees Celsius. In the late afternoon, cloud cover developed. The last class of day observed only 2 degrees Celsius difference with the higher temperature inside the bag. Regardless of time of day, groups who placed their thermometers on plants discovered a decrease of 2-3 degrees Celsius on both thermometers. Conclusion: The atmosphere traps thermal energy. The energy that reaches the surface can be affected by many factors including the sun's angle and cloud cover. This needs further testing using controlled laboratory experiments. |
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Water Evaporation Rates The rate of water evaporation is measured around the world throughout the year. Climatologists are concerned that changes in pan evaporation rates may indicate a more serious environmental problem caused by particulate matter blocking radiation from the sun. Students monitored weather conditions using a handheld Kestrel weather station that measures wind speed, relative humidity, dewpoint, and air temperature. They measured evaporation rates of sheltered and unsheltered evaporation pans for comparison. As a follow-up students will analyze the data and isolate variables for controlled testing in the laboratory. Up next: Is it possible that sun dimming by particulate matter is masking global warming from increased carbon dioxide? |
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