Physical Science Sample pages

Week 2: Atmosphere

1. Research the meaning of atmosphere.

2. State all the layers of the atmosphere and their characteristics, list from the ground to outer space

3. What is “ozone”?

4. Research the meaning of ozone layer.

5. Research the meaning of “Environmental Science”.

6. What are the effects of ozone in the atmosphere where we live? Are there any environmental concerns for the presence of ozone in this area?

7. Research the meaning of “Greenhouse Effect”.

8. What is “global warming”?

9. What environmental concerns are there for “global warming”?

10. Research the properties of air.

11. Research the composition of air.

12. What is viscosity?

13. Research Bernoulli’s Principle.

14. What are the forces involved in the flight of an airplane?

15. Research the force that allows a hot air balloon to rise.

16. Research how air pollution is detected.

17. Research common air pollutants (what they are and their sources).

18. Research the meaning of air mass.

19. Research the meaning of air mass conduction.

20. Research the meaning of air mass convection.

 

Physical Science Experiment

Week 2a Topic: _____________________

Purpose:

To observe the effect temperature has on viscosity.

Materials and Tools:

• Molasses, approximately ¼ cup
• Three small containers, all the same size (should be microwaveable)
• Freezer
• Microwave
• Cookie sheet at room temperature

 

Experiment:

1. Place about one tablespoon of molasses into each of the small containers.
2. Place one of the containers in the freezer for 10 minutes.
3. Place one of the containers at room temperature.
4. When the 10 minutes have passed, place one of the containers in the microwave and microwave on high for 10 seconds (watch it so it doesn’t boil over, and BE CAREFUL: it can be very hot!).
5. Prop the cookie sheet up 3 to 5 inches on one shorter end.  Pour all three of the containers at once, at three different points at the higher end of the cookie sheet.
6. Write at least three observations for each of the tablespoons of molasses in the table below.

Observations and Results:

Which of the containers of molasses flowed the fastest? 

Why?

Freezer Molasses	Room temperature molasses	Microwaved molasses

 

What can you conclude about the relationship between viscosity and temperature?

Physical Science Experiment

Week 2b Topic: _____________________

(Drawings, graphs and diagrams should be included on another sheet)

Problem and Hypothesis:

(What do you think will happen to the two thermometers?  Will they be the same? Will one be higher temperature than the other?)

 

Materials and Tools:

• Two thermometers
• A car
• After taking the inside temperature of the car, close all the windows and park in the sun

Experiment:

1. Record the temperature of both the thermometers on the paper.
2. Place one thermometer inside a car on the dashboard (all the windows closed and the car is preferably parked in the sun).
3. Place the other thermometer on the front bumper of the car (do not place it on the ground), in approximately the same position as on the one on the dashboard.
4. After a few hours (again record the time), read the outside thermometer first, and record on paper. When reading the thermometer that is inside the car, it must be done quickly.  Once it is taken out of the car, the temperature drops rapidly.  Record this on paper also.

Observations:

Write down what you observe.

Car	Temperature before parking the car in the sun	Temperature after
Inside
Outside

 

 

Results (and/or explanation):

(Explain why the temperatures occurred this way.):

 

Agree/disagree with Hypothesis (if disagree, restate hypothesis):

 

Any errors? (any possible errors with the thermometers or the cars?)

 

 

First Semester Physical Science Quiz 2

Matching: either write the letter or the word that best answers the statement on the blank or write the letter in the blank that is in front of the word.  Some may be used more than once, some not at all.

A. atmosphere	B. magnetosphere
C. hydrosphere	D. lithosphere
E. stratosphere	F.   ozonesphere
G. troposphere	H.  thermosphere
I. mesosphere	J.    exosphere
K. Bernoulli’s Principle	L. Newton’s principle
M. oxygen	N. nitrogen
O. bouyancy	P. hot air principle
Q. Air mass convection	R. Air mass conduction

 

1. _____ this is a brittle layer, made up of 7 large plates and several smaller plates, and consisting of the crust and the upper mantle

2. _____ this is the gases that envelope the earth, and are held by its gravitational field

3. _____ this is that area of space, around the earth, that is within the earth’s magnetic field and helps to protect the earth from the danger of the sun’s solar wind by deflecting it

4. _____ this includes all water that covers the earth, both salt and fresh water

5. _____ is the layer of the atmosphere that has strong steady winds (contains the jet stream).

6. _____ is the layer of the atmosphere that has mostly charged air molecules (ionized), is very cold and meteors that burn up in this layer.

7. ______ this part of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer

8. _____ the outermost part of the atmosphere, where the few air molecules meet the vacuum of space

9. _____ the part of the atmosphere that is the hottest and has very few air molecules.

10. _____ the gas that is what air mostly consists

11. _____ as the speed of moving air or water increases, the pressure within the fluid decreases

12. _____ the principle of how a hot air balloon rises

13. _____ is when the hotter atoms in the air move toward the colder atoms, and transfer heat by touching atom to atom until all become one temperature

Short Answer:

14. What is the importance of the ozone layer?

15. State what the greenhouse effect is and why it is important.

16. Explain viscosity.

17. At this time, what is the best air pollution detector?

18. State one common air pollutant and its source.

19. What is an “air mass”?

Parent Manual Week 2: Atmosphere

1. Research the meaning of atmosphere.

The atmosphere is all the gases that envelope the earth, and is held by its gravitational field.

 

2. State all the layers of the atmosphere and their characteristics, list from the ground to outer space

The temperature and mix of gases that allow us to live change as we get further from the earth’s crust.

 

• Troposphere: the area where we live. It includes clouds, wind and all our weather.  This layer is from the ground to 9.5 miles out.

 

• Stratosphere: this layer is right above the troposphere. It has strong, steady winds, but few changes in its weather.  It usually does not contain water vapor or clouds.  The jet stream flows through this layer.  Its upper layer is the ozone layer.  The ozone layer blocks out harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun’s radiation.  This layer is from 9.5 miles to 31 miles out.  Some volcanic eruptions are so violent; they can shoot volcanic dust and gases into this layer.

 

• Mesosphere: it is colder than the stratosphere.  This layer is very thin (as in not very many air molecules are in this layer).  The air molecules are ionized (have an electric charge) which make them able to reflect short-wave radio waves.  Meteors burn up in this layer.  The coldest point in our entire atmosphere is located at the upper boundary of the mesosphere.  This layer is from 31 miles to 50 miles out.

 

• Thermosphere: the temperature is high, and the air is so thin that it would be considered to be a vacuum in a laboratory (hardly any air molecules AT ALL).  In the upper part of the thermosphere, the International Space Station orbits.

 

The Ionosphere is located in 2 layers: thermosphere and exosphere.  The ionosphere has molecules and atoms that have been ionized by solar radiation. 

 

• Exosphere: the outermost part of our atmosphere, borders between our air and the vacuum of space.

 

3. What is “ozone”?

Ozone is an allotrope of oxygen gas. 

The oxygen gas that we need to live is two atoms of oxygen bonded together.  It has no odor with a light bluish color.

Ozone is three atoms of oxygen bonded together and is poisonous. It has a distinctly bad smell, also with a light bluish color.

 

4. Research the meaning of ozone layer.

The ozone layer is a layer of the stratosphere that contains the most atmospheric ozone.  The ozone layer is approximately 10-25 miles above the earth’s surface.  Ozone is produced by the action of solar radiation on the oxygen molecule, and by lightening.  Ozone is a molecule containing 3 oxygen atoms; it is poisonous, is light blue in color and has a strong sharp odor.  The ozone layer absorbs a portion of the ultraviolet radiation from the sun, preventing the rays from reaching the planet’s surface.  The portion that is absorbed is the more harmful radiation called UVB (stands for UltraViolet-B, as opposed to UVA, or UltraViolet-A). 

There are daily changes in the ozone layer, depending on the variations in the weather, solar activity, and part of the latitude the layer is in. 

 

5. Research the meaning of “Environmental Science”.

Environmental Science is the study of various ecosystems (biospheres), of the land and/or water, the climate, the plants, animals and organisms that exist and survive in that area.

 

6. What are the effects of ozone in the atmosphere where we live? Are there any environmental concerns for the presence of ozone in this area?

When ozone is in the troposphere it is one of the main proponents of smog.  Ozone is known to be poisonous and to smell badly, it has a grayish-greenish tint.  Find old (1960s-1970s) pictures of Los Angeles, California to see what smog looks like.  My grandparents used to live in the Los Angeles area during that time.  If they could see the hills in the distance, they said it was a good day!  My son went to China  in 2008 with his college class and he said in Shanghai you could not see ahead 2 blocks, the smog was so bad.

Since smog is poisonous, the environmental concerns are the loss of plants and living organisms from small creatures to us.  The lung cancer rate for those living in the cities in China has increased exponentially, with the only factor that has changed being the level of smog.

 

7. Research the meaning of “Greenhouse Effect”.

Water vapor, carbon dioxide and methane are all considered ‘greenhouse gases’.  The effect of these gases allow sunlight in to warm the ground, but prevent the heat from leaving, or radiate out into space, hence act as a ‘greenhouse’ (like a conservatory or a hothouse).  Carbon dioxide is a natural byproduct, produced by people and animals, decaying vegetation, burning of wood and fossil fuels, by hot springs, volcanoes, automobiles and power plants. 

Nature contributes about 200 billion tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere annually, while mankind contributes another 7 billion tons (3.5%) of the total.

 

The basic Greenhouse Effect is essential to life.  Without it, the average temperature on earth would be about -31^oF.

 

8. What is “global warming”?

‘Global warming’ is where the average temperatures around the earth are warming, and the Greenhouse Effect is said to be the cause.

 

It is said that global warming is the cause of the very active hurricane season of 2005 (and caused Hurricane Katrina).  There is one hurricane expert, Max Mayfield (director of the National Hurricane Center in Atlanta) that disagrees and states that hurricanes and weather tend to go through cycles.  We have been on an ‘active’ cycle that will continue for 10 to 20 more years (Mr. Mayfield says that this cycle is analogous to a cycle that began in 1940 and ended in 1960).  He said that the activity of hurricanes go through a natural cycle that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean that changes every 25-45 years.

Whether global warming is due to the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere or to a natural warming cycle, we don’t really know yet.   Regardless of the viewpoint, it is always good to take care of the earth and whatever possessions we may have: being a good steward.  If we can cut down on excess carbon dioxide emitting from our possessions, on excessive water usage, and taking care of the area of the earth around us, we are being good stewards and thoughtful of those around us.

 

9. What environmental concerns are there for “global warming”?

If the earth warming is due to increase in carbon dioxide, then if carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise, our earth will continue to warm.  Increase in earths temperatures will cause: more frequent and more violent hurricanes (typhoons), more forest fires, the polar ice caps becoming smaller (melting) raising the level of the oceans, increase in floods, and climates will change.

 

10. Research the properties of air.

Air has mass.  Air has volume.  Air has viscosity (force-time/volume).  Air has density (mass/volume).  Air has pressure (force/area).  Air has temperature.  Air has specific volume.  Air molecules are in constant motion.  Air molecules move around more when the temperature increases (so warm air is lighter) and slow down when temperature decreases (cooler air is heavier).

 

11. Research the composition of air.

78% of dry air is nitrogen

about 21% is oxygen

1% argon

.03% carbon dioxide

water vapor (depending on the humidity, it could be up to 4%)

trace amounts: neon, krypton, xenon

also: ice crystals, salt crystals, dust, microbes, meteor ashes

 

12. What is viscosity?

Viscosity is how thick a fluid is; the greater the viscosity the less fluid it is (the thicker it is; the less it flows).   For example, molasses is more viscous than water.  Even though air is a gas, it can have fluid movement; air can have levels of viscosity.

 

13. Research Bernoulli’s Principle.

David Bernoulli was a Swiss scientist in the 18^th century.  Bernoulli’s Principle states that as the speed of moving air or water increases, the pressure within the fluid decreases.   The Wright Brothers did extensive research and experiments with this principle: to get the wings to lift the plane.  The wing’s shape causes the air to move faster over the top of the wing.  According to this principle, the faster air causes the pressure to decrease.  The pressure below the wing remains the same, so pushes up on the wing (in the direction of decreased pressure).

This principle is also applied to get the hydrofoil to lift off the water.

 

14. What are the forces involved in the flight of an airplane?

Lift (how an airplane goes higher), thrust (the force pushing the airplane), drag (what objects or forces is causing the airplane to slow),  and gravity

 

*NOTE: if the student is fascinated by airplanes, encourage the study of how a pilot controls an airplane, what causes the plane to tilt in any direction.

 

15. Research the force that allows a hot air balloon to rise.

A hot air balloon stays afloat because of the buoyant force on it.  The air within the parachute material is heated to move faster, and decreases the overall density within the balloon.  This decreased density is what causes the air to be lighter and will lift the balloon.  (65,000 cubic feet of heated air is needed to lift 1,000 pounds!)

The hot air balloon has a propane heater that heats up the air when needed (to keep the balloon aloft, the air must be repeatedly heated, for it cools off).  There is a valve in the parachute material that can be opened to allow air to escape, which lowers the balloon.

The hot air balloon travels wherever the wind currents blow.

 

16. Research how air pollution is detected.

The human nose is the best detector of air pollution!  It can not only detect harmful fumes, but the body has a physical reaction to smelling them making it easier to detect.   At this time in China, they are developing robots with the ability to detect noxious/harmful fumes, called olfactory robots. 

 

The Environmental Protection Agency has specifics on what kind of instruments are to be used to test commercially for air pollutants.  Some types of detectors use various chemical processes: catalytic oxidation, flame ionization, infrared adsorption, and photoionization.

There are air quality test kits to use in the home.  These tests will depend on the temperature of the air, its humidity, and its acidity.  Most tests will detect formaldehyde (used to be a component of carpet glue), nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide,ozone, mold and mildew, and radon.  Sometimes petrie dishes are set out in a room to detect the presence of mold.

 

17. Research common air pollutants (what they are and their sources).

Pollutants are mainly carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide.  Both come from exhausts from industries, burning fossil fuels and waste disposal.  Carbon monoxide comes mainly from car exhausts.

Chlorine in man-made chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s, 0.75 million tons a year).

Oceanic evaporation (600 million tons a year).

Burning of organic substances (8.4 million tons a year).

Plankton (5 million tons a year).

Smog (car exhaust and exhaust from industries).

Black carbon pollution (diesel smoke).

Noxious gases (chemical reactions between these pollutants can cause smog: sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, chemical vapors)

 

18. Research the meaning of air mass.

 Air mass is a large quantity of air that is the same throughout (same temperature and humidity).  An air mass develops when air over a large area of land or water remains still (no wind to blow it away), and that body of air takes on the characteristics of the land (if a desert, the air becomes hot and dry, and if over a tropical ocean the air becomes moist and warm, etc).

 

19. Research the meaning of air mass conduction.

 The conduction of the air mass is when the hotter atoms in the air move toward the colder atoms until all become one temperature.  It is the transfer of heat from atom to atom.

 

20. Research the meaning of air mass convection.

Air mass convection is the transfer of the heat throughout the air mass by the moving currents of air within the mass. It is the transfer of heat via moving air.

 

First Semester Physical Science Quiz 2

Matching: either write the letter or the word that best answers the statement on the blank or write the letter in the blank that is in front of the word.  Some may be used more than once, some not at all.

A. atmosphere	B. magnetosphere
C. hydrosphere	D. lithosphere
E. stratosphere	F.      ozonesphere
G. troposphere	H.    thermosphere
I. mesosphere	J.       exosphere
K. Bernoulli’s Principle	L. Newton’s principle
M. oxygen	N. nitrogen
O. bouyancy	P. hot air principle
Q. Air mass convection	R. Air mass conduction

 

1. __D__ this is a brittle layer, made up of 7 large plates and several smaller plates, and consisting of the crust and the upper mantle
2. __A__ this is the gases that envelope the earth, and are held by its gravitational field
3. __B__ this is that area of space, around the earth, that is within the earth’s magnetic field and helps to protect the earth from the danger of the sun’s solar wind by deflecting it
4. __C__ this includes all water that covers the earth, both salt and fresh water
5. __E__ is the layer of the atmosphere that has strong steady winds (contains the jet stream).
6. __I__ is the layer of the atmosphere that has mostly charged air molecules (ionized), is very cold and meteors that burn up in this layer.
7. __E___ this part of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer
8. __J__ the outermost part of the atmosphere, where the few air molecules meet the vacuum of space
9. __H__ the part of the atmosphere that is the hottest and has very few air molecules.
10. __N__ the gas that is what air mostly consists
11. __K__ as the speed of moving air or water increases, the pressure within the fluid decreases
12. __P_ the principle of how a hot air balloon rises
13. __R_ is when the hotter atoms in the air move toward the colder atoms, and transfer heat by touching atom to atom until all become one temperature

Short Answer:

14. What is the importance of the ozone layer?

The ozone layer keeps out the harmful ultraviolet rays.

15. State what the greenhouse effect is and why it is important.

The Greenhouse Effect are carbon dioxide and other gases that the warming rays of sunlight into the earth’s atmosphere, and prevents the heat from leaving.

16. Explain viscosity.

Viscosity is the thickness of a fluid (liquid or gas)

17. At this time, what is the best air pollution detector?

At this time, the best air pollution detector is the human nose. 

18. State one common air pollutant and its source.

Any one of the following: 

carbon monoxide from car exhausts

hydrogen sulfide from car and industrial exhausts

chlorine from man-made chlorofluorocarbons

smog from car and industrial exhausts

19. What is an “air mass”?

An air mass is a large quantity of air that has the same temperature, pressure and humidity throughout.

Purpose:

To observe the effect temperature has on viscosity.

Materials and Tools:

• Molasses, 3 tablespoons
• Three small containers, all the same size (should be microwaveable)
• Freezer
• Microwave
• Cookie sheet at room temperature

Experiment:

1. Place about one tablespoon of molasses into each of the small containers.
2. Place one of the containers in the freezer for 10 minutes.
3. Place one of the containers at room temperature.
4. When the 10 minutes have passed, place one of the containers in the microwave and microwave on high for 10 seconds (watch it so it doesn’t boil over, and BE CAREFUL: it can be very hot!).
5. Prop the cookie sheet up 3 to 5 inches on one shorter end.  Pour all three of the containers at once, at three different points at the higher end of the cookie sheet.
6. Write at least three observations for each of the tablespoons of molasses in the table below.

Observations and Results:

Which of the containers of molasses flowed the fastest?  The heated container

Why? The molecules are moving fastest, allowing the liquid to flow more easily.

Freezer Molasses	Room temperature molasses	Microwaved molasses
Barely moves, takes a long time to flow out of the container, very viscous …	Slowly moves, comes out of the container slowly and slowly moves down the cookie sheet, is viscous …	Moves quickly, flows out of the container rapidly, flows down the cookie sheet almost like water, is not viscous …

What can you conclude about the relationship between viscosity and temperature?  Something like: the higher the temperature the less viscous a fluid is.

(Drawings, graphs and diagrams should be included on another sheet)

Problem and Hypothesis:

(What do you think will happen to the two thermometers?  Will they be the same? Will one be higher temperature than the other?)

This experiment will have the student see how the Greenhouse Effect applies.  The student will need to predict what will happen regarding the thermometers (how the thermometers will differ, if at all, at the end of the experiment).  Something like:

A closed car left in the sun will increase in temperature by 10 degrees Fahrenheit than the outside temperature.

Materials and Tools:

• Two thermometers
• A car
• After taking the inside temperature of the car, close all the windows and park in the sun

Experiment:

1. Record the temperature of both the thermometers on the paper.
2. Place one thermometer inside a car on the dashboard (all the windows closed and the car is preferably parked in the sun).
3. Place the other thermometer on the front bumper of the car (do not place it on the ground), in approximately the same position as on the one on the dashboard.
4. After a few hours (again record the time), read the outside thermometer first, and record on paper. When reading the thermometer that is inside the car, it must be done quickly.  Once it is taken out of the car, the temperature drops rapidly.  Record this on paper also.

Observations:

This is where the student will write down what was observed.

 

Car	Temperature before parking the car in the sun	Temperature after
Inside	This varies	Temperature should be much hotter
Outside	This varies	Temperature remains the same

 

Results (and/or explanation):

(Explain why the temperatures occurred this way.):

The student should explain the observations.  Something like:

The thermometer outside the car rose just to the temperature of the area around it.  It did not get any hotter because the air around it can move freely. 

The thermometer inside the car got hotter, because all the windows were closed the air couldn’t get out, and all the sunlight that was coming in heated the car.

This is an example of the Greenhouse Effect; the gases trap the heat from the sun causing the temperature to rise.

Agree/disagree with Hypothesis (if disagree, restate hypothesis):

This is where the student will state whether the hypothesis was correct or not.  Something like:

 My hypothesis was incorrect.  Instead of increasing in temperature by 10 degrees Fahrenheit it increased by 25 degrees Fahrenheit as opposed to the outside temperature.  So, the hypothesis should be:

A closed car left in the sun will increase in temperature due to the Greenhouse Effect.

Any errors? (any possible errors with the thermometers or the cars?)