Air Pollution Lab

1
Air Pollution Lab

• Activity designed to help you learn how to use
  the Lab Write Up Format sheets

2
Purpose

• To develop a greater awareness of the variety and
  amount of particulate matter in the air.
• To locate general sources of pollution for the
  area.

3
Hypothesis

• If my team places three slides covered with
  petroleum jelly in these places (list the three
  areas you are using), then the one located here
  (choose one to list) will have the most amount of
  particulate matter by the end of the week.

4
Materials

• Three microscope slides
• Petroleum jelly
• Markers/tape to label the slides
• Magnifying glass

5
Procedure

• Label each slide with a piece of tape, your name
  and location you will place it.
• Smear the rest of the slide (avoid the taped end)
  with petroleum jelly
• Place the slide in the appropriate location as
  determined by your team.

6
Procedure

• Ideas for placement (you are not limited to
  these)
• In a home with pets
• In a home with a smoker
• In the garage
• In your kitchen
• In the commons on the soda machines
• In the classroom
• In a home with no smokers, but frequently lit
  candles/incense
• Other ideas?

7
Procedure

• Control We will place some slides in a closed
  drawer in the backroom to serve as controls so we
  know what we are comparing the experiment slides
  to.

8
Procedure

• Independent variable Where you place the slide
• This is what you are manipulating in this
  experiment
• Dependent variable The amount of particulate
  matter at the end of the week.
• This is what you are measuring

9
Procedure

• Collect the slides at the end of the week and
  look for particulate matter.
• Place each slide on a sheet of white paper and
  observe with a magnifying glass to look for
  particulate matter.
• Compare the experiment slides with the control
  slides provided by your teacher.

10
Data
Slide Location Relative amount of particulate matterlow, medium, high




11
Conclusion Questions

• Which of your slides had the most particles?
• Which of your slides had the least particles?

12
Conclusion Questions

• Compare with other students in the room. Who had
  the slide with the largest amount of particles?
  Where had this slide been placed?

13
Conclusion Questions

• What is the most likely source of the pollution
  on the most polluted slide?
• How might this pollution be reduced?