APES LAB RUBRIC – EXPERIMENTAL
Name _____________________________________________
Air quality lab
Collaborators: Zach Toresko
Abstract – one paragraph summary of the methods and results
A lab was conducted to learn more about the air quality of wake forest and to teach students about the six major air
pollutants. In this lab filter samples were used to measure the ozone inside the class room and outside in the court yard. These
filters were dipped in a water and starch mix. And to measure the amount of ozone students dipped the filter in distilled water and
the color is measured. After leaving them out for a night. The classroom sample was a control. The outside sample measured a 10 on
the ozone scale. The inside sample measure 0.
Particulate matter was measured as well. A note card was used for collect particulates inside the class room and outside the
class room. Petroleum jelly was smothered on the card. Then observed under a microscope. The outside sample had very light
particulate matter and the inside had no particulate matter.
Problem – what is the question you are trying to answer?
Describe the air quality of Wake Forest using Ozone and PM measurements and learn more about the six major air
pollutants.
Hypothesis – what are you testing?
The ozone sample that is kept outside will prove more ozone outside than the control. As well as more particulate matter outside
compared to inside.
Parts of the experiment – control group- ozone and particulate matter monitoring test strips inside the classroom
experimental group- ozone and particulate matter monitoring test strips outside in the courtyard
dependent- data collected on the ozone and particulate matter
Materials – list the things you used in the experiment
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Corn starch
Beaker
Filter paper
Note card for particulate matter
Tape
String
Petroleum
Microscope
Methods-list steps so the experiment can be repeated
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Test strips for ozone and particulate must be prepared.
Start by dip the ozone filter in a mixture of 100 ml of water and 5 grams of corn starch. Do this twice for both ozone filters.
To prepare the particulate matter note cards mark a section of the card and then spread the petroleum on it.
Place one prepared test strip for each ozone and the particulate matter inside the class room to act as a control.
Then place one of each test strips outside.
Use string or tape as need to keep the test strips in place
Allow the test strips to sit over night
The next day collect the strips
Collect the test strips
10. Dip the ozone strips in distilled water and find the schoenbein number to measure how much ozone is in the two locations.
11. Record data on how much particulate matter is on each sample and use a microscope to make more observations.
________ (5 pts)
Data-tables, graphs, photos
outside samples
outside particulate sample had a very few particulate samples
outside ozone sample –Dark purple looks like tie-dye and purple lightning strikes measures
10 on ozone scale
ozone sample inside class room measure 0 on the ozone scale
inside particulate matter sample had no particulates
Data Analysis – what is your interpretation of the data?
The ozone filter strip from outside was a dark purple color and when it was compared to the chart it measured a 10. The
inside ozone measured at 0. The particulate matter sample outside had a few specs of dust or dirt. These specs were very small. The
inside sample didn’t have any particulate matter on it.
Conclusions – how do your results relate to the hypothesis & any specific lab questions.
The result of the lab supported the hypothesis the outside sample both tested more than the control. The school was
proven to have little or no ozone in the building as well as particulate matter. The lab shows how there is more ground level ozone in
the troposphere outside than the air conditioned school.
Lab Questions
1. The highest rating the EPA will allow for a community for ground level ozone is 80
ppb. Any community with over 80 ppb for an average over three years is in
noncompliance with the Clean Air Act. Compare your number to this standard. Did Wake
Forest meet the standard on this day? Using what you know about the formation of
ozone, decide if you believe the measurement you made was an accurate measurement
of the air quality and why.
2. 13% of counties in the US are not meeting the Ozone requirements of the Clean Air
Act. Use the chart below and information from class to explain the reason for the
location of the counties in Non-attainment.
3. Particulate matter has recently been added to the requirements of the Clean Air Act.
Theorize reasons that it was not part of the act until the 1990’s.
4. Compare and contrast the different PM samples – did they meet your expectations?
Why or why not?
The particulate matter is different because inside the school there is an ac and filtration
system that helps filter particulate matter. Outside also can pick up particulate matter
from distant places where as inside there is just the school affecting the particulate
matter inside.
5. Explain why air quality monitoring is important for the health of the economy.
It is important to measure air quality because if the air quality is bad it can have very harmful effects on nthe
health of humans and other animals.
Pre-lab Questions 1. Create a chart showing the six air pollutants, causes, and concerns from the
information in the pre-lab.
ollutants
Causes
concerns
zone
chemical reaction between oxides of
nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic
compounds (VOC) in the presence of
heat and sunlight. Motor vehicle exhaust
industrial emissions, gasoline vapors,
chemical solvent
Ozone in the troposphere causes health problems.
Example: irritated lungs, inflammation and sun
burn
articulate matter
found in the air, including dust, dirt,
soot, smoke, and liquid droplets.
significant health problems, including: aggravated
asthma, increases in respiratory symptoms like
itrogen oxide
ulfur dioxide
ead
arbon monoxide
Variety of sources such as cars, trucks,
buses, factories, construction sites, tilled
fields, unpaved roads, stone crushing,
and burning of wood.
Nitrogen oxides form when fuel is
burned at high temperatures, as in a
combustion process. The primary
sources of NOx are motor vehicles,
electric utilities, and other industrial,
commercial, and residential sources that
burn fuels.
coughing and difficult or painful breathing, chronic
bronchitis, decreased lung function, and premature
death
The effects of this settling include: making lakes
and streams acidic, changing the nutrient balance
in coastal waters and large river basins, depleting
the nutrients in soil, damaging sensitive forests
and farm crops, and affecting the diversity of
ecosystems
Children, people with lung diseases such as
asthma, and people who work or exercise outside
are susceptible to adverse effects such as damage
to lung tissue and reduction in lung function
Acid rain
Small particles effects on breathing and the
respiratory system, damage to lung tissue, and
premature death.
Harms water quality
Greenhouse gas helping with global warming
SOx gases are formed when fuel
containing sulfur, such as coal and oil, is
burned, and when gasoline is extracted
from oil, or metals are extracted from
ore.
Irritates asthma and causes heart disease
of lead emissions have historically been
motor vehicles (such as cars and trucks)
and industrial sources. Due to the phase
out of leaded gasoline, metals
processing is the major source of lead
emissions to the air today.
Damages organs
Motor vehicle exhaust, industrialization,
wood burning,
from heart disease, like angina, clogged arteries,
or congestive heart failure.
Acid rain
Plant and water damage
Decays buildings
Seizures mental retardation behavioral disorders
memory problems moods changes
High blood pressure and increase heart disease
Damage aquatic life
2. Why is ground level ozone highest in the summer and almost nonexistent in the
winter? How might this affect our results as we test the air during this part of the year?
Because that is when the earth receives the most sunlight and is the hottest
3. Many third world countries still use leaded gasoline (since they have older cars or
since they have not forced changes). What concerns may the governments of these
countries need to deal with?
Damages organs
Seizures mental retardation behavioral disorders memory problems moods changes
High blood pressure and increase heart disease
Damage aquatic life
4. Use the internet to find what parts of North Carolina are not in compliance with the
Standards of the Clean Air Act. You may give either general areas or specific counties.
Citations – find an outside source that relates to the experiment. That information will be
included, and referenced, somewhere in the lab, most likely the conclusions.
I didn’t use any outside resources