Atmosphere Lab Station Activity

Atmosphere Lab Station Activity Purpose: To explore the effects of the coriolis effect and convection on the atmosphere and subsequent wind patterns Lab Station 1: Coriolis Effect Exploration Introduction The Coriolis effect is named after Gustave Gaspard Coriolis, a 19th-century French professor of mechanical engineering. He calculated much of the mathematics behind the effect. The theory explains the apparent deviation in the path of winds and water currents across the earth. Although Coriolis’ interest was in the various forces acting upon rotating pieces of machinery, the Coriolis effect is a topic in earth, environmental, and marine science. The effect can be a tough concept to explain, but it is fairly easy to model. The phenomenon can be demonstrated with a simple and inexpensive balloon activity. Because the earth rotates (from west to east around a north-south axis), paths of objects moving great distances across the earth’s surface are deflected. If a plane left the North Pole, flying south toward Portland, Maine, and maintained that straight-line path for a period of time, the pilot might actually land in Portland, Oregon instead. From the perspective of a person standing in Portland, Maine, who had somehow been able to watch the entire flight, the plane would have veered far to the west, or to the right of the straight path, as seen from the North Pole. Similarly, both Anchorage and Los Angeles rotate once in a 24-hour day. Los Angeles “travels” farther and faster in that time period because it is on a lower latitude. Materials Globe and expo markers Google document to record your answers and notes Directions 1. In your table team get a globe and marker 2. Locate the equator, north pole, and south pole on the globe 3. Hold the globe at eye level (you can hold it from the top while still supported by the table) and rotate the globe from left to right, simulating the rotation of the earth 4. While one partner rotates the globe, the other examines the movement of the earth from the North Pole perspective and from the South Pole perspective. Use your observations to answer questions 1 and 2. 5. While 1 partner continues to rotate the globe steadily from left to right, the other slowly tries to draw a line straight from the North Pole, south to the equator, using an expo marker. 6. Repeat step 5, but now try to draw a straight line from the South Pole, north to the equator as the globe is rotating. Use your observations to answer Questions 3 and 4 Questions 1. As you look from the North Pole toward the equator, is the globe spinning clockwise or counter clockwise? Answer 2. As you look from the South Pole toward the equator, is the globe spinning clockwise or counterclockwise? Answer 3. What happened when you tried to draw a straight line from the North Pole to the equator? Answer 4. What happened when you tried to draw a straight line from the South Pole to the equator? Answer 5. Predict what would happen if you again drew lines in the northern and southern hemispheres but with the earth rotating in the opposite direction. Answer Sense Making Watch the following videos to make sense of what you learned a. Coriolis Effect Sci Show - video b. The Coriolis Effect Explained - video

Lab Station 2: Observing Fluid Convection Procedure 1. Obtain the following materials for your group: pie pan, two 100-mL beakers, bottle of chilled food coloring, room-temperature water, ice, hot water, paper towels 2. Place a small amount of ice in one of the 100ml beakers. Fill the beaker with room-temperature water to the 80ml mark. Tip: To make sure that the bottle fo food coloring remains chilled, place the bottle in the beaker of ice water while you are preparing the other materials 3. Pour about ¾ inch of room temperature water into the pie pan 4. Pour 80 ml of hot water into the other 100-mL beaker 5. Inside the pie pan of water, place the beaker of ice water on one side and the beaker of hot water on the opposite side. 6. Place one or two drops of chilled food coloring in the water of the pie pan at the base of the beaker of ice water 7. Observe the movement of the food coloring in the water of the pie pan. Answer the reflection questions below. Your set up should look like this: Reflection 1. Record your observations of the food coloring’s movement in the water of the pie pan. Be as detailed as possible. Answer 2. Why did the majority of the chilled food coloring initially sink to the bottom of the water in the pie pan? Answer 3. What happened to the food coloring once it reached the beaker of hot water? Answer 4. What type of heat transfer does this model represent? Answer 5. Complete the following google draw to explain what happens to the water molecules during this head exchange. Use arrows to indicate the flow of the water molecules. 6. Knowing that air, like water, moves as a fluid, predict what will happen to air masses as they heat and cool. Answer