activity: global warming in a jar · 2018. 4. 20. · activity: global warming in a jar this...

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Activity:GlobalWarminginaJarThisexperimentisdesignedtogiveabetterunderstandinghowthecompositionoftheEarth’satmosphereaffectsitstemperature.ThefigureshowsthatthereisacorrelationbetweenconcentrationofCO2intheEarth’satmosphereandthetemperatureinAntarctica(asrecordedbyicecoredata)forthelast800,000years.NotethatwarmerperiodscoincidewithperiodsofrelativelyhighCO2concentrations.MATERIALS2jarswithholedrilledinlidtoaccommodatethermometer

2thermometers1chemistryringstand

1highintensityincandescentlight(150-200watt)

1timer1sodasiphonCO2cartridge

PROCEDURE1. Inonejar,siphoninsomeCO2andquicklyclosethelidtoretain

theCO2inthejarandinsertthethermometersothatitisabouthalfwayintothejar.

2. Inthesecondjar,closethelidwithnormalairinthejarandinsertthethermometersothatitisabouthalfwayintothejar.

3. Ifthethermometerislooseinthejarlid,useputtytoholditinplaceandsealthejar.

4. Attachthelighttoaringstandsothatitwillshineparalleltothetabletop.Donotturnthelighton.

5. Placethejarsabout2inchesfromthelightandbesurethatthejarsarepositionedsothattheywillreceivethesameamountoflight.

6. Recordthestartingtemperatureineachjarinthetable.7. Beforeturningonthelight,makeapredictionabouttheresults

thatyouwillobserveinthisexperiment.8. Turnonthelightandrecordthetemperatureineachjarevery

minutefor8minutes.9. After8minutesturnoffthelightandrecordthetemperature

everyminutefor4minutes.Makeaprediction:Thejarswillbeheatedwiththelamp.Beforeyoubegintheexperiment,predictwhichjarwillshowthegreatestamountofincreaseintemperatureandexplainyourreasoning.

Source:EPA

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Time 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12Jar1

withCO2

Jar2withair

Plotyourtemperaturedataforeachonthegraphbelow.

FOLLOW-UPQUESTIONS1.Whatdoesthelightfixturerepresent?Whatdothedifferentjarsrepresent?2.WhatdoesthisexperimentindicateabouthowCO2behavesdifferentlythansomeothergasesintheatmosphere?3.WhatdoyourdataindicateaboutanatmospherewithanincreasedamountofCO2?