BI 101 Lab Climate Change.docx
pdf
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Linn Benton Community College *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
101
Subject
Geography
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
Pages
14
Uploaded by EarlOtter2896
Name ___________________
Lab 1: Climate Change – Pre-Lab
Carefully read Lab 1 to answer the following questions.
1. Which of the following best describes the question you are trying to answer in this lab?
Check the correct box.
☐
A. How does temperature on Earth affect the amounts of carbon dioxide (CO
2)
in the
atmosphere?
☐
B. How does the distance between the sun and Earth affect the temperature on
Earth?
☐
C. How does the amount of oxygen (O
2
) affect the temperature on Earth?
X☐
D. How does the amount of carbon dioxide (CO
2
) on Earth affect the temperature on
Earth?
2. Brainstorm (not using the internet or your book) anything you know about carbon dioxide.
Where does it come from? What is it? Where does it go? Where do you find it on Earth?
Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound made up of two oxygen and carbon. It comes from natural
sources. Carbon stays in the air or goes equally into the land biosphere and the ocean. People can
find it when animals exhale from breathing and other things like volcanoes and burning fossil fuels.
3. When conducting the experiment in Lab #1, how will you increase the amounts of carbon
dioxide (CO
2
) in your model environment?
Turning on the lamps at the same time to each tank. One has just vinegar and the other has vinegar
and baking soda. As the lamp turns on more heat gets trapped and the CO2 levels get higher.
4. Which part of your model environment represents the sun?
The lamp in the model environment represents the sun.
5. What is the Independent Variable: Between your two experimental set-ups what is the
variable you are testing?
The independent variable is the effect of CO2 on temperature over the time from the past to the
present.
6. What is the Dependent Variable: What are you measuring in this experiment to determine if
there are differences between your two experimental set ups?
The dependent variable is the measuring of a control and an experimental tank.
Lab 1: Climate Change - 1
7.
Read the graphing tips in the class introduction section (above week 1). Look at the
following graph.
List any mistakes that you find on the graph below.
There is no title to this
graph. No key is being given to understand the graph. It doesn’t say what they are measuring over
time for the temperature.
8.
Describe the greenhouse effect on Earth. Use this link to help:
http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/
Life on earth depends on the heart from the sun. 90% of the heat is absorbed by the greenhouse
gasses and re-radiated, slowing heat loss into space. Human activities are the cause of the
increase in the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is made up of four gasses. These gasses
slow outgoing heat in the atmosphere and cause the planet to heat.
Lab 1: Climate Change - 2
Lab 1: Climate Change – Activity
TILT Page
Purpose
In this lab, you will explore one the most pressing environmental concerns affecting life on
Earth today and into the future: climate change. You will explore the causes of climate change
on Earth using the scientific process (hypothesis-experiment-analysis) to demonstrate the
greenhouse effect.
By going through the scientific process, you will experience how scientists
work through problems and make conclusions based on their data.
You will compare your
climate
model
to
what
is
happening
on
Earth
today by comparing carbon dioxide and
temperature data from the past to the present.
This lab activity is designed to allow you to
practice
critical
thinking
skills
by
analyzing
scientific
data
and
making
evidence
based
conclusions, which is an important skill inside and outside of the classroom.
When finished with this lab activity, you should be able to complete each of the following
content knowledge and skills.
Knowledge
●
Describe the relationship between greenhouse gasses and air temperature.
●
Explain the causes of increased greenhouse gas emissions.
Skills
●
Gather background knowledge to create a hypothesis.
●
Apply the scientific method to investigate a hypothesis using a model.
●
Represent data graphically.
●
Analyze data and make conclusions based on your results.
●
Apply the results from your model to real world climate data.
Lab 1: Climate Change - 1
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
Part 1. Greenhouse Effect Experiment and Data Modeling
The Question:
How does the addition of carbon dioxide (CO
2
) to an environment affect the air temperature?
Forming a Hypothesis:
Organize Your Background Information:
Brainstorm what you know about carbon dioxide and greenhouse effect. Use your knowledge,
experience, and observations about how carbon dioxide affects temperature. Feel free to read
up on this on the internet but look for reliable sources.
1.
Carbon dioxide traps heat and warms up the inside.
2.
CO2 soaks up infrared energy and re-emits the infrared energy back in all directions. Half of that
energy goes out into space and the other half returns to earth as heat.
3.
As more CO2 gets put into the air the more the temperature gets hotter.
Hypothesis/Prediction Statement:
Make a statement that answers the question above. A
good hypothesis must be
testable
(can you design an experiment to test it?) and
falsifiable
(can you prove it wrong with your experiment?) Here is a hint: Carbon Dioxide does NOT
create heat, nor does the creation of carbon dioxide.
IF: Restate the hypothesis using the independent variable (what you are changing).
THEN: make your prediction about the dependent variable (what is affected by this change).
BECAUSE: use your background information to explain your prediction.
IF:
The addition of CO2 to an environment affects the air temperature by capturing the heat from the
lamp and causing the air to become warmer.
THEN:
What is being affected by this change is both the controlled and experimental tanks. The
environments are being affected by how hot the air temperature is getting.
BECAUSE:
Climate change has affected the Earth a lot. CO2 is the main reason for climate
change to increase. CO2 is like a blackent and traps heat. As more heat is coming off the
lamps the more the CO2 traps it. With the heat being trapped the hotter the environments get.
Lab 1: Climate Change - 2
Procedure: Tank Setup
Figure 1 illustrates how your tank setup should look after completing steps 1 - 6 below.
1.
Label the two tanks:
Tank A: Control
Tank B: Experimental
2.
Using the clamps provided, double check that the temperature probe in each tank is
2-3 cm
above the substrate.
3.
Center the heat lamps at the same height and face-down above each tank. Do not turn
them on yet.
4.
Make sure the temperature probe is not positioned directly underneath the heat lamp.
5.
Place a large petri dish in the center of each tank.
Figure 1. Set up of two to experimental tanks.
Know Your Ingredients:
When baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (contains acetic acid) are combined a
chemical reaction occurs and carbon dioxide is released.
C
2
H
4
O
2
+ NaHCO
3
→
NaHC
2
H
3
O
2
+ H
2
0 +
CO
2
Acetic Acid + Sodium Bicarbonate
→
Sodium Acetate
+ Water +
Carbon Dioxide
Lab 1: Climate Change - 3
Procedure: Prepare Your Ingredients
1.
Measure 150 ml of vinegar using a beaker and pour it in the petri dish in control tank (A).
2.
Measure 30 g of baking soda and place it in the petri dish in the experimental tank (B) that
does not yet have the vinegar.
3.
Measure 150 ml more vinegar (don’t pour it in yet).
4.
Record the temperature in each tank (write it under “0 min” in your data table).
Read Steps 5-7 before continuing!
5.
Turn on the stopwatch and
SLOWLY
add the vinegar to the baking soda in the dish inside
the experimental tank.
ADD THE LIQUID SLOWLY AND STIR CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL
MIXED (45 SECONDS). MAKE SURE THE REACTION DOESN’T FIZZ OUT OF THE
DISH!
6.
When finished stirring,
turn on both heat lamps at the same time
.
7.
After 1 minute has elapsed from when you first added the vinegar, begin measuring the
temperature every 30 seconds for 6 minutes.
Record your data in the table below.
8.
Find the online lab date in the Lab 1 Data file and copy it over.
Data Table
Time
(min)
Tank A temperature (°F)
(control tank)
Tank B temperature (°F)
(experimental tank)
0
73.2 73.2-73.2= 0
73.7 73.7-73.7= 0
0.5
No data collected leave blank
on graph
No data collected leave blank on
graph
1
74.8 74.8-73.2= 1.6
74.2 74.2-73.7= 0.5
1.5
75.2 75.2-73.2= 2.0
74.9 74.9-73.7= 1.2
2
75.8 75.8-73.2= 2.6
75.8 75.8-73.7= 2.1
2.5
76.4 76.4-73.2= 3.2
76.8 76.8-73.7= 3.1
3
77 77-73.2= 3.8
77.5 77.5-73.7= 3.8
3.5
77.5 77.5-73.2= 4.3
78.4 78.4-73.7= 4.7
4
77.8 77.8-73.2= 4.6
79.8 79.8-73.7= 6.1
4.5
77.9 77.9-73.2= 4.7
80.6 80.6-73.7= 6.9
5
78 78-73.2= 4.8
81.2 81.2-73.7= 7.5
5.5
78.2 78.2-73.2= 5
81.8 81.8-73.7= 8.1
6
78.2 78.2-73.2= 5
82 82-73.7= 8.3
Lab 1: Climate Change - 4
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
Lab 1: Climate Change - 5
Graphing
Graph your data. Open excel (or google sheets), and enter the date with TIME in the first
column, Tank A data in the second column and Tank B data in the third column. Make sure
they are clearly labeled at the top of each column:
TIME
Tank A
Tank B
0
43
45
0.5
1
44
49
1.5
45
50
2
45
50
When graphing over time, a line graph is your best representation. With two sets of data you
will graph two lines on the same graph: one for each tank. Select the “insert” tab once you
have your data entered and navigate to the “charts” section and find the scatter chart
drop-down. One of the options shows data points connected by smooth lines – this is the one
you want. It should look something like this:
Clicking on the various labels allows you to edit the label. The following is expected of your
graph:
o
Title: describes the content of the graph
o
X axis:
Time is on the horizontal axis
: labeled with proper units
o
Y axis:
Dependent variable on the vertical axis
:
labeled with proper units
o
Scale: consistent intervals
o
Legend: a key to describe the difference between the two lines
Lab 1: Climate Change - 6
Copy your graph as an image and paste it here:
Lab 1: Climate Change - 7
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
Part 1 Questions: Answer questions 1-4 before continuing to Part 2.
1.
a. Using your graph as an example, describe and compare the temperatures between the
control and the experimental tanks.
Looking at the graph we can see that the control tank temperature is a lot less. The experimental
tank is a lot higher because of the extra CO2 already in the air. At first the temperatures aren’t
that far apart but as time goes on the difference gets bigger.
b. Calculate the temperature
change
over the 6 minutes for each tank. [There are several
ways to do this step. Do any calculation that will help you describe your results.]
The different temperature change over the 6 minutes for tank A is 5 degrees. The difference in tank B
is 8.3 degrees. Each of the tanks both got hotter.
2.
Explain why there is a temperature difference between the two tanks. Your explanation
should be based on your experiment and scientific evidence.
The difference between the two tanks is that one has baking soda mixed with vinegar. These
substances being mixed cause CO2. So the difference is that one has more CO2 in the tank already
than tank A does with just vinegar in it. Tank B having more CO2 makes the temperature different.
The temperature in tank B is higher than tank A.
3.
In the experiment, did you observe any possibilities for error?
As I watched the experiment I did not observe any errors. I might have been missing something but
from what I understood I did not see any.
4.
From what you observed in this experiment, come up with a new question you could ask.
If each of the tanks were in a colder environment would the temperature over time increase
drastically as well with the CO2 levels?
Lab 1: Climate Change - 8
Part 2: Global CO
2
Levels
Background
Scientists began monitoring atmospheric carbon dioxide levels in 1958 at the Mauna Loa
Observatory, Hawaii.
For CO
2
measurements before 1958, researchers use ice core samples
taken from Antarctic ice sheets to reconstruct atmospheric conditions going back 800,000
years.
Ice cores are long tubes of ice that are drilled out from the oldest, thickest part of the
ice sheet.
Trapped in the layers of ice are bubbles of ancient air, which are analyzed to
determine past concentrations of greenhouse gasses.
Graphing
Carefully observe the graph below of global CO
2
concentrations from Siple Dome Antarctic Ice
Core Data and Mauna Loa Observatory. Then answer the part 2 questions.
*parts per million per unit volume
Lab 1: Climate Change - 9
Part 2 Questions
5.
Using data from the CO
2
graph and evidence from your experiment, what would you predict
has been happening to global temperatures during this time period?
From looking at the graph and my experiment I can predict that humans have been releasing my
CO2 in the air over time. There has been a lot of CO2 released in the air causing it to be hotter and
changing climate change more. The global temperature has risen and gotten hotter.
6.
Look at the global temperatures for the last 140 years. Explain how the graph supports or
doesn’t support your prediction.
http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/global-temperature/
The graph over the 140 years has supported my prediction. It supports it by showing how much the
CO2 levels have risen over the years. The temperature continues to rise and doesn’t seem to stop.
The earth is continuing to get hotter and hotter.
7.
a. What do you observe about CO
2
levels after 1950 compared to the previous 400,000
years? Navigate to the website below and scroll down to look at the graph showing CO
2
over the last 400,000 years: http://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/
Looking at the graph of CO2 over the last 400,000 years shows that it wasn’t always high. The
levels went from low to higher back to lower and then all over again. The highest always stayed the
same until after the 1950s. I observe that CO2 levels weren’t really bad until humans started to do
more things. After the 1950s the levels went really high and continued to climb. The pattern is
broken and it never went back.
b. Why do you think we are observing these recent changes in CO
2
levels in Earth’s
atmosphere?
I think we are observing these recent changes in CO2 levels because it is very important. Climate
change has been shifting a lot lately and it is important to know why. CO2 is a very important
element and it’s important to know how it works. Them more we understand how it impacts the
world the more we could possibly change it.
Lab 1: Climate Change - 10
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
Lab 1: Climate Change - 11
Lab 1: Climate Change – Report
Review the following before answering the question below.
●
Data from your experiment and graphs from your lab.
●
The greenhouse effect website (from Pre-lab).
●
Watch the video: Formation of Fossil Fuels:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8VqWKZIPrM
1.
Explain why global temperatures are currently increasing on Earth
.
Use data and
observations from your lab and include information from the video and greenhouse effect
website in your answer.
The reason why the global temperature is currently increasing is because of all the CO2 humans are
putting into the air. The more CO2 gets into the air the more the temperature goes up. Humans are
constantly burning fossil fuels which are mostly carbon and then add oxygen into the atmosphere
creating CO2. Humans have burned fossil fuels for years and will continue. Burning fossil fuels is the
reason why the temperature has changed so much. The more we do this the more the Earth's
atmosphere will change.
Watch the following video to learn about how climate change is affecting plants and animals
living in Yellowstone National Park. Keep in mind we are already seeing these ecosystem
changes from an average global 1
◦
C temperature increase.
Google this Video:
Liz Hadly Tracks the Impact of Climate Change in Yellowstone
2.
Describe the consequences of climate change on the whitebark pine ecosystem and the
amphibians living in Yellowstone National Park.
Climate change has caused the temperature
in Yellowstone National Park to rise. With the heat rising it allows the mountain pine beetle to
attack the whitebark pine trees. The warm heat does not kill the beetles and allows them to live
longer. When the beetles attack they kill the trees in less than two days. With them killing the trees
it affects the whole ecosystem for the bears and the squirrels. The bears and squirrels rely on the
tree to get enough food for hibernation. With the trees dying those aniamls lose that resource they
need to survive.
Lab 1: Climate Change - 12