The Greenhouse Effect Inquiry Lab
Pre-Lab Question:
1. What is the greenhouse effect?
-Greenhouse gases cause some radiation from the sun to be trapped as heat in the troposphere
Hypothesis: The cup with soil added to it will heat up faster than the cup with only water in it due to the fact that the soil may contain elements that cause it to give out greenhouse gases (nitrogen). The independent variable is whether there is soil in the cup or not. The dependent variable is the temperature after ten minutes. The controlled variables include the amount of water in each cup, the time spent under the heat lamp, and the amount of heat each cup receives.
Problem: How quickly does the warming of the atmosphere occur?
Procedure:
1. Put twenty milliliters of water in each of two cups.
2. In one cup, put in fifty milliliters of soil.
3. Record the temperature of the air inside the cups.
4. Cover the top of each cup with one layer of plastic wrap.
5. Place both cups under a heat lamp for ten minutes.
6. After ten minutes, uncover the cups and record the temperature of the air inside.
Observations and Data:
1. What is the greenhouse effect?
-Greenhouse gases cause some radiation from the sun to be trapped as heat in the troposphere
Hypothesis: The cup with soil added to it will heat up faster than the cup with only water in it due to the fact that the soil may contain elements that cause it to give out greenhouse gases (nitrogen). The independent variable is whether there is soil in the cup or not. The dependent variable is the temperature after ten minutes. The controlled variables include the amount of water in each cup, the time spent under the heat lamp, and the amount of heat each cup receives.
Problem: How quickly does the warming of the atmosphere occur?
Procedure:
1. Put twenty milliliters of water in each of two cups.
2. In one cup, put in fifty milliliters of soil.
3. Record the temperature of the air inside the cups.
4. Cover the top of each cup with one layer of plastic wrap.
5. Place both cups under a heat lamp for ten minutes.
6. After ten minutes, uncover the cups and record the temperature of the air inside.
Observations and Data:
Water Cup:
Temperature at beginning of experiment: 23°C Temperature at end of experiment: 23°C |
Soil/Water Cup:
Temperature at beginning of experiment: 23°C Temperature at end of experiment: 25°C |
Analysis and Conclusions:
The observations from the experiment show that the temperature of the air in the cup with soil and water was raised by two degrees in ten minutes while the temperature of the air in the cup with only water didn't change at all. These results actually prove the hypothesis correct in that the cup with soil heated up quicker. The results may not have been completely accurate as water vapor is also a greenhouse gas and it didn't seem to affect the first cup. There was also some confusion about the initial temperature which would have to be fixed if the experiment were to be done again. This could be perfected with a more accurate thermometer or allowing a longer time for the thermometer to adjust. The experiment showed how greenhouse gases can affect the air in a cup with a seal, much like how they affect the air in the Earth, which is also covered by a seal (the ozone).
The observations from the experiment show that the temperature of the air in the cup with soil and water was raised by two degrees in ten minutes while the temperature of the air in the cup with only water didn't change at all. These results actually prove the hypothesis correct in that the cup with soil heated up quicker. The results may not have been completely accurate as water vapor is also a greenhouse gas and it didn't seem to affect the first cup. There was also some confusion about the initial temperature which would have to be fixed if the experiment were to be done again. This could be perfected with a more accurate thermometer or allowing a longer time for the thermometer to adjust. The experiment showed how greenhouse gases can affect the air in a cup with a seal, much like how they affect the air in the Earth, which is also covered by a seal (the ozone).