Angelique Kurkowski & Jamel
Block 2
Air Pollution Lab
Purpose/Objectives:
1.) Explain the relationship between air pollution and the combustion of various materials.
2.) Better understand how society and industry add potentially harmful pollutants to the air.
3.) See the difference between the air pollutants given off from the combustion of natural and synthetic
materials.
4.) More fully understand that the individual is a source of air pollution.
Hypothesis: If I burn synthetic vs. natural products, then the Styrofoam will burn more pollution.
Introduction: Air pollution is harmful substances into air that can build up to unhealthy levels. Air
pollution can take three possible forms: solid, liquids or gases. Most is the result of human activities but
some pollutants are natural. Industrial smog is factories that burn coal which is a grayish color. This is
also a man pollutant. Photochemical smog is another air pollutant. Photochemical smog is caused by car
exhaust. This is brownish in color; main pollutants are nitrogen oxides.
Materials:
2 pieces of Cotton
1 piece of wool
1 piece of Styrofoam
Dropper bottle of turpentine
600 mL beaker
Jar lid
Matches/light (teacher use only)
2 pieces of white paper (cut into 4 half sheets)- label each “cotton”, “cotton with turpentine”, “wool”
and “Styrofoam”.
Procedure:
1. Place a small wad of cotton on a jar lid and place the lid on a clean half-sheet paper. Label the
paper “cotton”.
2. Using a match or lighter, one student should light the cotton and cover the lid with a 600-mL
beaker. If the flame begins to go out before the cotton is fully burned, lift the edge of the beaker
slightly, to let in more air. Observe the products of combustion.
3. When the flame goes out, study the beaker and its contents for several minutes. Create a data
date and record observations.
4. Use a fresh wad of cotton, clean paper, and a clean beaker. With a medicine dropper, place
TWO DROPS of turpentine on the cotton. Repeat the procedures for burning and observation
discussed in steps 1-3. Enter your observations on your air-pollution data sheet.
5. Repeat the same procedures for the burning wool and Styrofoam and enter the data in the
table.
Data Table:
Cotton
Color
Gray/Black
Cotton/Turpentine Brown (spots of
turpentine still
there)
Wool
Black; shriveled
up.
Styrofoam
Melting, Black
Smoke
Odor
Burnt paper
Condensation
A little
Burnt Hair
Yes- resin on the
glass
Burnt hair
Yes- Black at the
top of the glass
No
Burnt hair
Particulate Matter
Ash (grey and
black)
No Ash
No Ash
A little Ash
Analysis: The Styrofoam gave off the most air pollution. I know this because the material melted and
black smoke started to show. The Styrofoam also was the material that was left in the beaker. The liquid
looked black. Evidence of solid pollutants that were given off by the combustion was the smoke that
came off of the material while it was being burned. Synthetic material gave off more pollution because
it’s man made material. My car exhaust added pollutants to the air today because I drove to school.
Conclusion: Based on our experiment our hypothesis was correct. I know this because out of the
cotton, cotton with turpentine and wool the Styrofoam gave off the most pollution. Air pollution is
harmful substances into air that can build up to unhealthy levels. We also know our hypothesis was
correct because there was more ash in the glass cup then the other materials. We burnt every material
leaving us to conclude that the Styrofoam is the most polluted and harmful.