oil spill experiment

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School

Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis *

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Course

120

Subject

Geography

Date

Jul 2, 2024

Type

pdf

Pages

6

Uploaded by CoachMetal12679

Simulate an oil spill experiment at home Learning objectives: 1. Simulate an oil spill. 2. Use the scientific method to approach your experiment. 3. Develop ways to clean up the oil. 4. Discuss the effectiveness of your clean-up methods. 5. Better understand the wider impacts of water and air pollution. Introduction: In Alaska, March 23, 1989, an oil-tanker owned by Exxon was trying to evade icebergs in their shipping lane and hit Bligh Reef releasing over 10 million gallons of oil (Rohland, 2017; Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2018). April 20, 2010, British Petroleum owned an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico known as the Deepwater Horizon that exploded and released over 4 million barrels of oil (Mole, 2015; Rohland, 2017). Various methods have been documented to clean-up the oil ranging from trying to contain the oil, disperse the oil, scrape the oil from the surfaces, scoop the oil, use chemicals, combust the oil, use bacteria through bioremediation, etc. (Rohland, 2017). This basic information does not address the impact on humans and the environment. Here is the link to a Youtube video from the U.S. Coastgaurd of the Deepwater Horizon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qbB-Ga0rh8 Here is an image from Wikipedia from the NOAA: The purpose of this exercise is for you to document and simulate an oil spill at home and experience different ways of trying to remove the oil from the water. Answer all the appropriate questions. Instructions: 1. Use any kind of oil that you may have at home (vegetable, motor, etc.) 2. What kind of oil are you using? Canola Oil 3. Observe a little oil mixed with water. Take a small volume such as a teaspoon of oil and add it to water in a bottle, glass, or any container that you may own.
Write your observations and take a picture: Oil remains separated at top, is less dense than water as the two remain two separated liquids 4. Try mixing the oil with the water. Document how you are trying to mix the water and oil. (Are you using a spoon? Are you shaking the container?) 5. What are you using? Stirring with a spoon 6. Document your observations. Became small little bubbles, as air was incorporated during stirring, but went back to remaining on top after 7. Now write a hypothesis or an educated guess regarding the oil and water mixture and how you can clean the oil from the water and/or from the container being used. A simple hypothesis can be an “If….then” statement. Such as…”If the oil is soluble in water in a plastic bowl, then the water will completely mix with the oil and can be removed using water.” Hypothesis: If you were to add an agent such as dishwashing soap, salt, or hydrogen peroxide then the oil will be able to dissolve into the water, thus allowing it to be cleaned by water. 8. Now conduct an experiment. The goal of the experiment is to have oil in water and try to clean up the oil. For example, can you remove the oil from the water using a spoon, some cotton balls, cotton tipped swabs, a piece of string, a sieve? 9. Be sure to record your materials. For example, materials could include things like, tap water, plastic bowl, measuring spoon, vegetable oil, cotton, spoon, etc. ● Tap water, glass cup, spoon, canola oil, dishwashing liquid, measuring spoon, salt, hydrogen peroxide
10. Students must try at least 3 different ways of cleaning or removing the oil from the water and container. Document what you are doing and take at least 3 pictures of 3 different ways of trying to remove the oil from the water and/or dish/container. Using before and after images are good wayw to demonstrate and provide support for what is written. 11. Describe what you are going to do. 1. Fill a glass cup up with tap water approximately ⅔ full 2. Add two tablespoons of canola oil 3. Add the agent (based on experiment number: dishwashing soap, salt, or hydrogen peroxide) approximately one tablespoons 4. Mix with spoon 5. Check if soluble 6. Rinse with water to see how well it will clean 12. Perform your experiment. Be sure to include your pictures. (Add them to this file or upload them as attachments.) Experiment 1 (dishwashing liquid) Experiment 2 (salt)
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