SFP- Flooding Down the Road

By: Jordan Meriwether

Friday, May 30, 14

IntroductionDifferent environments are affected in various ways to flooding, but the worst area to live in is at the bottom of a hill which is where all the water will go. Throughout this experiment the different absorption density and environments in the world to determine the outcome. The materials are concrete, sand, dirt, and clay. The terrains were chosen from average materials that people lived on or materials that could work potentially as ground.

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Hypothesis

I hypothesized that clay will give off the greatest amount of water dirt will give off the least. I feel the water will have separate effects depending on the density of the terrain, for example harder materials will let off more water while looser softer materials will absorb and hold the water. The least water run off will come from the dirt since it will have a lower density and also absorb the water and be able to hold without releasing.

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Experimental Design

Variables: Controlled variables: The slopes’ 150 degree angles the slopes

themselves, the 2 cups of water being use, 4 cups of each material, and the four non absorbent sponges.

Independent variable: The terrain of the slopes Dependent variable: The water Run-off

Groups: Control group: Dirt Experimental group #1:Sand Experimental group #2:Cement Experimental group #3:Clay

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Materialstwo boxes slopesprotractorsanddirt claycementduct tape non absorbent foamscissors measuring cups water

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Procedures1. Gather identical two boxes and cut a square starting at the bottom up

4.5inches and across. 2. Gather four identical 16.5inch long slopes or any none traction surface

that can hold materials.3. Stick the slopes through the hole to the top back of the box there

should be two per box.4. Measure to make sure that it sticks out the top of the box by 6 inches.5. Take a protractor and measure the slope to be 150 degrees inside the

box.6. Stick non absorbent foam wedged between the box and the slope to

hold in water.7. Place 4 Cups of each material separately among the slopes.8. Get 2 Cups of water for each slope.9. Pour the total 4 Cups of water over each slope.10. Record findings.

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Mass Volume

Sand- 2.16 lbs Cement - 3.6 lb 4 .54 Density 4 .9 Density

Dirt- .6 lbs         Clay -1 lb   4 15 Density          4 .25 Density

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Analysis/Observation

Analysis:Based on the finding of the graph it can be seen that throughout all

of these trails were very constant, this probably do the constant usage of the same amount of every thing. It can also been seen that the differences of the sand compared with the rest is quite extreme At first I would believe it was the because the huge density differences, after finding the densities I found they don’t match at all.

Observations:It was believed thought that the absorption was based on the

density of the soil, but then the density graph and the absorption graph would correspond. What I found is that their is major connection in this case between the density and the amount of water released.

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Discussion

I had predicted that clay would absorb the least amount of water since it was like concrete but it had a smoother surface. And I had believed Dirt would also do fine since it would be able to absorb large amounts of water.

Before the experiment the densities of the terrains were checked, and found that the dirt had the lowest density while concrete had the highest. This was a part of my final choice and I also incorporated the idea of the texture of the surface.

In the end it was seen that it the Sand had absorbed the most water while clay had absorbed the least.

If anyone would like to retry this experiment I recommend understanding the effects of different densities and amounts of a material are effected when water is poured on.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be seen that sand did the absolute best holding back the water, while clay did the worst. This is a surprise to me because I believed that dirt was going to hold back the most due to being able to hold water inside of itself. Though, I found that sand can hold water and even though it slips through the cracks in the sand can reshape to hold water much quicker than Dirt can. Plus the pure concentrations of each material inside the slopes was higher in sand due to me not adjusting the quantities to match in weight.

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Acknowledgement

• Mr. Sherif

• Dell Meriwether

• Kelly Brandt

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Bibliography

Floods. January 1, 2014, Retrieved from http://www.weather.gov/pbz/floods

Absorption. January 1, 2014. Retrieved from http://science.howstuffworks.com/absorption-info.htm

Howard Perlman (12/20/13). Runoff. January 1, 2014. Retrieved from http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/runoff.html

(12/23/13) Flood Facts. January 1, 2014. Retrieved from http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/pages/flood_facts.jsp18/2013).

Floods. January 1, 2014, retrieved from http://www.ready.gov/floods

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