The Albedo Lab Objective: To examine the ability of different surfaces to reflect light. Question: What properties of materials affect the amount of reflected light off the object? Materials: • • Smart Phone and Light Sensor App – There are many. Find one and install it on your phone. You do NOT need to pay for this. 12 surfaces tested in the same surrounding space at the same time (6 for natural surface and 6 artificial surfaces). For example: You find 6 surfaces, bring them all to your room, scan all surfaces in 10 – 15 minutes. HINT: Why would keeping these factors consistent matter? What other factors should you “control”? Procedure 1. Write down your hypothesis (If… then… because…) before testing surfaces. 2. Hold your Smart phone so it is on about a 45° angle with the surface, and approximately 10 cm above it. **Keep in mind how your body may be blocking the light. 3. Measure the light reflected off the first surface, and record the number in your table (units may vary depending on the App, and the units will need to be included in your table and graph). 4. Repeat for all other surfaces. 5. Plot a bar/column graph for the information in your table (Review graphing requirements.) Analysis Questions: 1. Identify the manipulated, responding, and three controlled variables for this investigation. Briefly explain why these variables are chosen. 2. Describe any pattern/trend that you observe between the different surfaces (consider differences the like colour and texture of the surface; natural vs artificial surfaces). 3. Briefly research and describe what the “Heat Island Effect” and “Albedo” means. Using what you have learned from this lab, explain how man-made surfaces impact the earth’s changing albedo and explain why there are varying temperatures in a city. REMEMBER: Use your own words and properly reference all sources. Use “Turnitin” on D2L. Be aware of plagiarism! Lab SK for this lab: • • • • SKI: Hypothesis and experimental design SKII: A table of your data (descriptive title, headings, units, data collected) ; A graph (descriptive title, label axes, units, plot data correctly) SKIII: Analysis Q#2 and 3 SKIV: Conclusion paragraph Note: Review “How to Write a Lab Report” information booklet at the front of your workbook!
