The Greenhouse Effect Experiment
byother...
Student
This evidence contains copy of a lab report on "the greenhouse experiment" that was completed by several students a few years ago.
Their experiment involved two plastic bottles that were partially filled with water, where one bottle contained carbonated water which released carbon dioxide gas - a "greenhouse gas"- into the upper part of the bottle. The other bottle contained plain water. When these two bottles were placed at the same distance from a single light source, the temperature of the greenhouse bottle was seen to change more than the simple water-filled bottle.
The students' report can be reviewed one page at a time by clicking on the small pages in the list below. It contains a discussion of the "greenhouse effect", as well as the results from the experiment.
Page 1 - Question, Description & Predictions
Page 2 - Graph & Graph Analysis
Page 3 - Heat Flow Analysis & Principle Notes
Page 4 - Prototype Notes
Page 5 - Synthesis Note & Conclusion
| KEYWORDS | greenhouse effect, heat, equilibrium, light |
| SUBMITTER | Jim Slotta |
| METHODS | Students heated two plastic bottles - one partially filled with water, and the other partially filled with "fizzy" carbonated water, and explored the different rates of heating for the two. The carbonation was created using alka seltzer tablets, and the heating was done using a light bulb positioned between the two bottles. The students also reported on two "prototypes" that had to do with the principles underlying the greenhouse effect, and wrote some thoughts on the synthesis of their activities, including how it changed their understanding og the global warming from greenhouse gases. |
| INSPIRATION | This lab report is a good piece of evidence, because it talks about the greenhouse effcet, and even provides some actual experimental evidence for students to examine. |
| PROJECTS | All the News |
| GUIDANCE | - Why did the students drop alka seltzer tablets in one of the two bottles? - Why did the temperature inside the CO2 (alka seltzer) bottle rise faster, and to a greater value? - Why did the temperatures inside the two containers level off after a short while, even though they were still near the light source? - Why does the light from the bulb heat up the air inside the bottle? - Do you think the two bottles received the same amount of light during the experiment? If so, then why would one bottle become warmer than the other? - Does the CO2 bottle allow heat to escape as easily as the plain water bottle? Why not? Does this help explain why that bottle heated up more quickly? - Look at the two prototypes (real life examples) on page 4 of the report. Why would a car parked in the sun with the windows open stay cooler than if its windows had been closed? - Look at the synthesis on page 5 and see if you agree with the conclusions drawn by the authors of this report. Why is the Earth's atmosphere said to be warming as a result of a similar "greenhouse effect"? |
| COMPREHENSION TIME | 5 to 20 minutes |
| SCIENCE LEVEL | Middle School and Above |
