Collaborators:
Gabriella Muinde
Camille Carr
Maddie
Abstract:
For a very long time my class has been having discussions about this topic. We know that acid rain is created by two different gasses. Those gases are sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxides. They come from burning fossil fuels like coal and oil. Based on our discussions about acid rain we have already know that there were already some major concerns about it. Some of these concerns included that it damages plants, lowers pH of surface water and soils, minerals leeching out of soils and damages to building. But the main problem for this lab was that we wanted to test how acid rain affects the growth of Kentucky Fescue. We did this by pouring different levels of sulfuric acid on the grasses that we had grown in class. This was done for a couple of weeks and the data was recorded on a data chart. With the data that we had gathered we got a chance to see how many of the different grasses reacted some grew, some stayed the same and some even shrinked.
Problem:
How does acid rain affect the growth of Kentucky Fescue?
Hypothesis:
Based on my knowledge about acid rain I think that the acid rain is going to cause the growth to slow down and possibly even stop growing.
Parts of the experiment:
Control group: Group A & B
Experimental group: Groups C, E, F, & G
Independent variable: Sulfuric acid
Dependent variable: Grass
Controlled Variables: Group A & B
Materials:
- 12 bottles planted with fescue
- Water
- Sulfuric Acid
- Sunlight
Methods
Groups A, B, C, E, F, G will be responsible fro watering one day a week in the following methods. Measure the height of each plant in centimeters every Tuesday that the plants are watered.
Group A: Water 100 mL (pH 6)
Group B: Water 100 mL (pH 6)
Group C: Water 10 mL of Sulfuric Acid and 90 mL of Water (pH 3)
Group E: Water 10 mL of Sulfuric Acid and 90 mL of Water (pH 3)
Group F: Water 50 mL of Sulfuric Acid and 50 of Water (pH 1)
Group G: Water 50 mL of Sulfuric Acid and 50 of Water (pH 1)
Data:
Gabriella Muinde
Camille Carr
Maddie
Abstract:
For a very long time my class has been having discussions about this topic. We know that acid rain is created by two different gasses. Those gases are sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxides. They come from burning fossil fuels like coal and oil. Based on our discussions about acid rain we have already know that there were already some major concerns about it. Some of these concerns included that it damages plants, lowers pH of surface water and soils, minerals leeching out of soils and damages to building. But the main problem for this lab was that we wanted to test how acid rain affects the growth of Kentucky Fescue. We did this by pouring different levels of sulfuric acid on the grasses that we had grown in class. This was done for a couple of weeks and the data was recorded on a data chart. With the data that we had gathered we got a chance to see how many of the different grasses reacted some grew, some stayed the same and some even shrinked.
Problem:
How does acid rain affect the growth of Kentucky Fescue?
Hypothesis:
Based on my knowledge about acid rain I think that the acid rain is going to cause the growth to slow down and possibly even stop growing.
Parts of the experiment:
Control group: Group A & B
Experimental group: Groups C, E, F, & G
Independent variable: Sulfuric acid
Dependent variable: Grass
Controlled Variables: Group A & B
Materials:
- 12 bottles planted with fescue
- Water
- Sulfuric Acid
- Sunlight
Methods
Groups A, B, C, E, F, G will be responsible fro watering one day a week in the following methods. Measure the height of each plant in centimeters every Tuesday that the plants are watered.
Group A: Water 100 mL (pH 6)
Group B: Water 100 mL (pH 6)
Group C: Water 10 mL of Sulfuric Acid and 90 mL of Water (pH 3)
Group E: Water 10 mL of Sulfuric Acid and 90 mL of Water (pH 3)
Group F: Water 50 mL of Sulfuric Acid and 50 of Water (pH 1)
Group G: Water 50 mL of Sulfuric Acid and 50 of Water (pH 1)
Data:
Analysis and Conclusions:
Based on all of the data between the two classes I would say that yes sulfuric acid did affect the growth of the grass. But although the acid affect the grass it was not by a whole lot. For groups like F and G for both classes based on the data chart you can see that the grass continued to grow fro about one week before it finally started to shrink. Then when it shrinked it was only by about 1 centimeters each time. Then for plants in Groups C and E for both classes the data shows that the grass grew a lot the first week that it had the acid but then just like the other two groups the grass started to shrink by the second week. The control groups since there had been no sulfuric acid but into them, they just continued to grow as normal. So after all of this information was collected it is now safe to say that my hypothesis had been correct. Acid rain causes for the fescue to stop growing and begin to shrinked. An error for this lab could possibly be that sometimes the measurements were not always perfect for all of the groups and the wrong numbers were put in sometimes. Other than that this lab was overall successful and the problem was solved.
General Analysis and Conclusions:
For this lab acid rain was only poured into the grass for a couple of weeks. Although there were some effects that is nothing compared to the impact that the acid rain could have on the fescue if it was being put into the grass everyday. Based on my first article (Earth is having a bad acid trip, study finds) it says that acid rain is now becoming a problem and human activity are to blame for it. The acid rain starts to acidify soil and water once the two gasses that created it are mixed together. There has been a growing dependance on natural resources such as coal and nitrogen and many other things. With this dependence growing so it the problem with acid rain. This article is proof that although there was not that much affect from the acid in a couple weeks. There will be great affects after a couple of years. This lab also showed that the grass that we had tested the acid on it very tolerant.
The second article that I had found (50 Years After its Discovery, Acid Rain As Lessons for Climate Change) shows that although acid rain can be a major problems there are things that can be done. The Clean Air Act was passed and this acted made sure to include the Acid Rain Program in it. So far there have been many things that have improved because of this. The trees are starting to better and are not as damaged as they had been when there was nothing trying to protect them. Even though there has been away for acid rain to get controlled this is not the only problem. Just as said in the article the only true way to handle all of the problems associated with the ecosystem is by handling human activity first.
Citations:
McLendon, Russell. "Earth Is Having a Bad Acid Trip, Study Finds." MNN. N.p., 23 Sept. 2011. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.
Grabar, Henry. "50 Years After Its Discovery, Acid Rain Has Lessons for Climate Change." Mother Jones. N.p., 12 Sept. 2013. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.
Based on all of the data between the two classes I would say that yes sulfuric acid did affect the growth of the grass. But although the acid affect the grass it was not by a whole lot. For groups like F and G for both classes based on the data chart you can see that the grass continued to grow fro about one week before it finally started to shrink. Then when it shrinked it was only by about 1 centimeters each time. Then for plants in Groups C and E for both classes the data shows that the grass grew a lot the first week that it had the acid but then just like the other two groups the grass started to shrink by the second week. The control groups since there had been no sulfuric acid but into them, they just continued to grow as normal. So after all of this information was collected it is now safe to say that my hypothesis had been correct. Acid rain causes for the fescue to stop growing and begin to shrinked. An error for this lab could possibly be that sometimes the measurements were not always perfect for all of the groups and the wrong numbers were put in sometimes. Other than that this lab was overall successful and the problem was solved.
General Analysis and Conclusions:
For this lab acid rain was only poured into the grass for a couple of weeks. Although there were some effects that is nothing compared to the impact that the acid rain could have on the fescue if it was being put into the grass everyday. Based on my first article (Earth is having a bad acid trip, study finds) it says that acid rain is now becoming a problem and human activity are to blame for it. The acid rain starts to acidify soil and water once the two gasses that created it are mixed together. There has been a growing dependance on natural resources such as coal and nitrogen and many other things. With this dependence growing so it the problem with acid rain. This article is proof that although there was not that much affect from the acid in a couple weeks. There will be great affects after a couple of years. This lab also showed that the grass that we had tested the acid on it very tolerant.
The second article that I had found (50 Years After its Discovery, Acid Rain As Lessons for Climate Change) shows that although acid rain can be a major problems there are things that can be done. The Clean Air Act was passed and this acted made sure to include the Acid Rain Program in it. So far there have been many things that have improved because of this. The trees are starting to better and are not as damaged as they had been when there was nothing trying to protect them. Even though there has been away for acid rain to get controlled this is not the only problem. Just as said in the article the only true way to handle all of the problems associated with the ecosystem is by handling human activity first.
Citations:
McLendon, Russell. "Earth Is Having a Bad Acid Trip, Study Finds." MNN. N.p., 23 Sept. 2011. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.
Grabar, Henry. "50 Years After Its Discovery, Acid Rain Has Lessons for Climate Change." Mother Jones. N.p., 12 Sept. 2013. Web. 13 Dec. 2013.