GREENHOUSE EFFECT

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Scientific Concept

Greenhouse effect has been widely used to describe the trapping of excess heat by

the rising concentration of greenhouse gases (CO2, methane, water vapour) in the

atmosphere.

One of the major greenhouse gases, CO2, strongly absorbs infrared radiation and

does not allow much of it to escape into space.

This causes the temperature of the earth to rise, which results in global warming

Reference : http://www.nps.gov/goga/naturescience/images/Greenhouse-effect.jpg

Scientific Concept

ENGAGE

Situation A Situation B

The picture in situation A depicts the condition of an Artic sea ice in 1979.

The picture in situation B depicts the condition of the same Artic sea ice in

1997. Explain why this had happened.

Procedure

Prepare 2 conical flasks (A & B)

Put in 35 g of baking powder into each conical

flask

Place the temperature probes into each

conical flask

Add 65 ml of water into conical flask A and

65 ml vinegar into conical flask B

Seal the conical flask immediately with a

rubber cork and swirl the solution

Once the temperature is stabilized, switch on

the bulb

Start the data logger and record the

temperature for 10 min

EMPOWER

Planning and Doing Experiment

Baking powder

Retort stand

Temperature probe

Rubber cork

Results

Time (s)

Temperature (° C)

Run 1 Run 2

0 25.1277 25.3933

10 25.4948 25.7540

20 25.8265 26.1159

30 26.1272 26.4234

40 26.4073 26.7699

50 26.6240 27.0922

60 26.8348 27.3227

70 27.0353 27.6060

80 27.2270 27.7780

90 27.4009 28.0749

100 27.5896 28.2778

110 27.7312 28.3706

120 27.9228 28.5980

130 28.0982 28.8162

140 28.2530 29.0282

150 28.3842 29.2543

160 28.5204 29.4431

170 28.6511 29.5586

180 28.7631 29.6344

190 28.9135 29.8461

200 29.0334 29.9298

210 29.1611 30.0924

220 29.2879 30.2663

230 29.4088 30.3300

240 29.5150 29.8304

250 29.6211 30.6394

260 29.7557 30.8078

270 29.8599 30.7650

280 29.9749 30.9793

290 30.1017 31.0767

300 30.2226 31.1775

Time (s)

Temperature (° C)

Run 1 Run 2

310 30.3081 31.2862

320 30.4113 31.3337

330 30.5145 31.5220

340 30.6177 31.6240

350 30.7371 31.6688

360 30.8594 31.9122

370 30.9641 32.0165

380 31.0511 31.8351

390 31.1248 32.0096

400 31.2074 32.1631

410 31.3047 32.3326

420 31.3902 32.4431

430 31.4963 32.5634

440 31.5651 32.6116

450 31.6599 32.7083

460 31.7469 32.8342

470 31.8555 33.0632

480 31.9386 33.0677

490 32.0275 33.2767

500 32.1450 32.9296

510 32.2305 33.3657

520 32.3101 33.4967

530 32.4015 33.5762

540 32.4870 33.6393

550 32.5828 33.7472

560 32.6639 33.8450

570 32.7568 33.9972

580 32.8408 34.0931

590 32.9307 34.1230

600 33.0177 34.0571

With vinegar

With waterTemperature

( C)

Time (s)

Discussions

Name the gas that is produced in conical flask B

What is the purpose of using bulbs in this experiment?

Based on the graph, which conical flask has a higher rate of temperature increase?1

2

3

Suggest a simple chemical test that can be used to confirm the presence of the gas in

conical flask B

Why is there a difference in the rate of temperature increase in both of the conical flasks?

4

5

ENHANCE

One of the most affected elements of global warming is our sea. In your opinion,

how do you think global warming could adversely affect the sea level?

UNIQUE FEATURES OF THIS ACTIVITY

A small change in the temperature can be detected easily and measured

accurately by using the temperature probe.

Two graphs can be plotted simultaneously with ease to have a clearer

picture of the temperature increase in the conical flasks.

Tables can be generated easily and precisely for each run by the software

according to the output of the experiment.

Students’ interest in practical work could be stimulated

REFERENCES

http://www.nps.gov/goga/naturescience/images/Greenhouse-effect.jpg

http://www.clean-air-kids.org.uk/globalwarming.html

http://www.nps.gov/goga/naturescience/climate-change-causes.htm

http://www.climatechange.gov.au/greenhouse-effect