CLIMATE CHANGE EXPERIMENTS

Experiment No. 1

Necessary material

Two semi-spherical plastic lunch boxes as transparent as possible.

Punch and hammer or a drill (with the help of an adult).
Vase.
Thermometer.
Seeds (for example, beans), chocolate,…

Description

1. One of the lunch boxes is taken and numerous...

drillings with
the drill.
2. Next, the two containers are taken to a sunny place.
3. Several experiments are proposed:

• Place a glass of water in each container, marking the initial level with a marker
What happens after a few days?
• Place a piece of chocolate in each lunchbox. Which one melts first?
• Put some beans with a little damp soil in each lunchbox. What
seeds
Would they germinate earlier?

• Place a thermometer in each container. Which one reaches a higher temperature?

Explanation

The planet Earth has an atmosphere composed essentially of nitrogen and

oxygen. But
There are also, in very small quantities, other gases that have a property.
fortunate
they retain the heat coming from the Sun after the radiation is reflected in the
surface
terrestrial.

The atmosphere as a whole behaves, therefore, like a kind of greenhouse:

retains in
its interior a part of the energy of solar rays. If that did not happen, the radiation
would return
to outer space, where it would disperse, as it does on other planets.
Thanks to the greenhouse effect, the average temperature of the Earth as a whole is
currently
at -15ºC. Without this effect, the average temperature would be -18ºC, which would cause the
existence
life would be much more difficult.

However, this beneficial effect for life can turn into a problem.
very serious
if greenhouse gases increase excessively causing a greater
warming
of the planet, a question currently subjected to numerous scientific studies.

Budget

• Lunch boxes; 0 – 5€
• Punch and hammer or drill; 0 - 10€
• Vase; 0 - 1 €
• Thermometer; 0 – 3 €
• Seeds, chocolate; 0 - 2 €

Maximum total cost - 21 € (very unlikely)

Minimum total cost - 0 €
Profitable experiment

Experiment No. 2

Necessary materials

• A transparent acrylic box (or a transparent plastic one).

• Two plants that fit inside the box.
• Two thermometers.
• A watch.
• Plastic cups.

Description

In this experiment, we are going to reproduce the conditions that generate the
global warming
from the Earth, simulating the effects of the Sun on living beings. In this way we can
understand which part of the electromagnetic radiation that comes from the Sun is the one that
us
helps to grow and which produces warming.

As a requirement for the experiment to go well, it must be conducted over a day.

sunny and
around noon so that there is a lot of solar radiation. The first thing we have to
to do is
to build a transparent box that simulates the Earth's conditions in space.
Can
get transparent plastic. Afterwards, we need to grow two plants in
vases
plastics. The plants will show the effects of temperature changes.
You will have to
let them grow about 15 cm tall and then they will be ready to start with the
experiment.

Once we have all the materials prepared, we will place a plant and a
thermometer inside the box and the other plant and we will leave the other thermometer outside.
It is
important that the part of the thermometer that records the temperature remains in the
shadow of the
plastic cup where the plant is. In this way, neither thermometer is affected.
sunrise
directly, and they can measure the ambient temperature.

When everything is ready, grab a pencil and paper and write down everything you observe.
Note the
initial temperature of the thermometers and every 2 minutes records the temperature of
the
thermometers and the time of measurement. After about 15 minutes, you will see how the
the temperature inside the box will be much higher than the outside and the state
of the
plants will also be different.

Explanation

The Sun emits radiation and when it hits an object on Earth, it absorbs the
radiation
solar and heats up slightly. If the object is inside a box, as is the case,
he/she goes

heating up little by little because the box lets energy in at the same time as
prevents the
output of infrared rays that produce heat. The result is the highest
warming of the
interior of the box in relation to the outside. This warming can also be seen.
in the
effect produced on the plants located inside and outside the box. The one that
if
inside it starts to wilt due to the heat effect, and that of the outside
just
experiment changes.

Budget

• Transparent acrylic box; 0 - 3€

• Plants; 3 - 6 €
• Two thermometers; 0 – 6 €
• A watch ; 0 – 4 €
• Plastic cups; 0 - 2 €

Maximum total cost - 21 € (very unlikely)

Minimum total cost - 3 €
Profitable experiment

Experiment No. 3

Necessary material

• Shoe box.
• Thermometer (for measuring ambient temperature).
• Glass (to cover the box).
• Cardboard.
• Glue.

Warning: this experiment requires the help of an adult.

Description

To demonstrate the greenhouse effect, we propose this simple experiment.

First, find a shoebox or a box that you no longer need. You only need the
box, like this
that the lid, recycle it in the blue container. Along with the box, you will also need a
thermometer (but not the ones we use when we are sick to see if we have a fever)
fever
a crystal the size of the lid, a cardstock, and some glue.

When you have all this, place the thermometer inside the box. Fold the cardstock in
angle
right, and stick it so that the box is divided into two parts. The idea is that
when
put the box in the sun, the cardboard should keep the thermometer in the shade.

Leave it in that position for 15 minutes and then note the temperature. Afterwards, without
move the box,
Cover it with a glass or a transparent plastic. Wait another 15 minutes. Look at the
temperature
that now shows on the thermometer, you will see that it has risen considerably.

Explanation

When putting on the transparent lid, the inside of the box gets much hotter than without it.
That is the
greenhouse effect. In this case, the glass lets in light that warms the interior of
the box.
But the glass does not let heat escape, which stays inside and therefore increases its
temperature.

In the atmosphere, there are some gases, called 'greenhouse gases', that make it
same as the
Crystal: they let light in but do not let heat out, and therefore the earth warms up.
Justlike
As we mentioned above, thanks to these gases the earth is not a block of ice.

The problem is that in the last 200 years, mankind has released an excess of these.
gases
(carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons...) with which the
temperature
The damage from the earth could be increasing, with the harms we have already indicated and others.
more than
We will explain it another time.

Budget

Shoe box ; 0 – 2€
Thermometer; 0 – 5 €
Crystal; 0 - 5 €
Cardboard; 0 - 1 €
Glue ; 0 – 2 €

Max cost - 15 € (very unlikely)

Minimum total cost - 0 €

Profitable experiment

Experiment No. 4
Materials

• 2 transparent PET bottles of two liters

• 2 cans of Coca-Cola (full) at room temperature
• 2 rubber stoppers
• 1 beaker
• 1 glass stirrer
• 1 funnel
• 1 clock
• 2 thermometers
• 1 lamp
• Paper
• Pencil

Description

1. Create a carbon dioxide atmosphere using Coca-Cola to

provide CO2. Pour a canned soda directly into a 2-liter bottle. The
drink
It should be at room temperature at the start of the experiment. Shake the bottle to
to free
carbon dioxide. Shake hard for at least 3 minutes. This will create an atmosphere.
of CO2
inside the bottle. Label the bottle "high in CO2". Put a cap on it with a
thermometer
At the top of the bottle. Make sure it is tight.

Create an atmosphere of nitrogen and oxygen by removing CO2 from the

Coca-Cola. Pour the contents of the other can into the beaker. Shake the
refreshment for
force it to release its carbon dioxide. Shake vigorously for at least 3 minutes.
When not
there are more bubbles, pour the soda into the second bottle. Now, this bottle
will have a
atmosphere of nitrogen-oxygen and very little CO2. Label the bottle "low in CO2".
Put a
stopper with a thermometer on the top of the bottle. Make sure that it
adjusted.

Now you have two identical plastic bottles, each containing amounts
identical soft drinks, with identical caps and thermometers. The only difference
they will be two
types of environments within each bottle.

3. Place the two bottles side by side in direct sunlight or under a lamp.
Make sure
that the caps are at the top of the two bottles. Record the
starting temperature of each bottle. Note the temperature inside each
bottle of
every minute for 20 minutes. Plot the data in a temperature vs
time and
draw your conclusions about the different types of greenhouse gases.

Explanation

The role of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere is the subject of

considerable discussion and debate. Global warming is well documented, to
just like the continuously increasing amount of greenhouse gases that the
Human activity puts in the air. Is there a relationship between the two? This is simple.
the experiment provides a good demonstration of the presence of greenhouse gases
greenhouse in the atmosphere.

Although other factors are also important, the composition of the atmosphere in
largely controls the climate of a planet. The levels of greenhouse gases
greenhouse are
particularly important. The planets receive energy continuously from the
Sun and
they must get rid of this energy at the same speed, sending it back to the
space. A
As greenhouse gas concentrations increase, more heat.
falls
trapped and the weather somehow has to adapt or change, to maintain
the balance
of energy in balance. One of the most significant changes in our climate is a
warming of the planet's surface and the lower atmosphere. The effect
greenhouse of the
The Earth's atmosphere makes our planet warmer than it would be without it.
the effect
greenhouse. This figure is likely to increase in the coming years.

Budget

• 2 transparent PET bottles of two liters; 6 €

• 2 cans of Coca-Cola (full) at room temperature; 0 - 1 €
• 2 rubber stoppers; 3 €
• 1 beaker; 4 €
• 1 glass stirrer
• 1 funnel
• 1 watch ; 0 – 4 €
• 2 thermometers; 0 – 6 €
• 1 lamp; 0 - 4 €
• Paper; 0 €
• Pencil ; 0 €

Maximum total cost - 37 €

Minimum total cost - 22 €
Less economically efficient experiment. Little profitable.

1st B

Rubén Castro - No. 4

Andrea Silvosa - no. 15
Maria Tenreiro - No. 16