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Greenhose effect
Moderators: AmyCowen, kgudger, bfinio, MadelineB, Moderators
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1923richarte
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 10:03 am
- Occupation: student
- Project Question: Is it getting hot in here? Investigate the greenhouse effect
- Project Due Date: march 10th 2010
- Project Status: I am conducting my experiment
Greenhose effect
Okay, so me and my son are doing the "is it getting hot in here? investigating the greenhouse effect" experiment. We were trying to think of ways to introduce co2 into the controlled environment inside the wooden frame we made with the cover on it. One of the proposed variations of the experiment suggests we put bricks inside the box, what exactly is that supposed to do? All the research I read about concrete and co2 states the cement / co2 connection is from the production of cement in factories. Any suggestions on how to similate pollution and greenhouse gases?
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MelissaB
- Moderator
- Posts: 1055
- Joined: Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:47 am
Re: Greenhose effect
Hi,
I am glad to see that you are thinking beyond a simple experiment to the next step! One easy way to increase the amount of CO2 in the wooden frame would be to combine baking soda and vinegar inside--it should be fairly easy to devise some time-release method, or you could just simply start the reaction and put the cover on immediately.
However, you should probably realize that you may not see much of a difference in temperature. The experiment is designed to mimic the greenhouse effect that CO2, methane, etc. has on the earth's atmosphere and not replicate it. The behavior of CO2 close to the surface of the earth in relation to UV light is very different from its behavior in the upper atmosphere--kind of like how ozone is a pollutant when sprayed in the lower atmosphere, but a very important part of the earth's defenses against UV light in the upper atmosphere! So, you can and should do the experiment...but be prepared to find no difference.
The bricks will not release CO2. Instead, they will probably absorb heat, which will make the temperature more similar to the area without the box. The idea behind the variation, I think, is that what is in the box is going to ultimately determine the climate change--kind of how scientists think that the ocean right now is acting as a giant heat sink and absorbing a lot of the heat from global climate change.
Hope this helps--if anything still isn't clear, just let me know!
I am glad to see that you are thinking beyond a simple experiment to the next step! One easy way to increase the amount of CO2 in the wooden frame would be to combine baking soda and vinegar inside--it should be fairly easy to devise some time-release method, or you could just simply start the reaction and put the cover on immediately.
However, you should probably realize that you may not see much of a difference in temperature. The experiment is designed to mimic the greenhouse effect that CO2, methane, etc. has on the earth's atmosphere and not replicate it. The behavior of CO2 close to the surface of the earth in relation to UV light is very different from its behavior in the upper atmosphere--kind of like how ozone is a pollutant when sprayed in the lower atmosphere, but a very important part of the earth's defenses against UV light in the upper atmosphere! So, you can and should do the experiment...but be prepared to find no difference.
The bricks will not release CO2. Instead, they will probably absorb heat, which will make the temperature more similar to the area without the box. The idea behind the variation, I think, is that what is in the box is going to ultimately determine the climate change--kind of how scientists think that the ocean right now is acting as a giant heat sink and absorbing a lot of the heat from global climate change.
Hope this helps--if anything still isn't clear, just let me know!