Observable Global Warming Lab

Janelli Aguilar, Jacob Mourtada, Jordan Sousa

Purpose:

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the effects of global warming using jars as models of the earth and its atmosphere. The person performing the lab will record changes of temperature and water levels and plot information to show how the greenhouse effect works.

Background:

Global Warming is the earth’s rise in temperature. With this rise of temperature many other changes take place on Earth. Sea levels rise, weather is affected, and natural disasters occur. The change of temperature is caused by the greenhouse effect and the emissions that have been put in the air over the past century. While some of these greenhouse gases are naturally occurring, some can have a huge effect on the earth’s atmosphere at a more rapid rate due to human use.

Materials: 

3 Large Mason Jars, 1 Small Mason Jar, 4 Thermometers, Heat Lamp, Cardboard, 3 Sheets of White Paper, Plastic Wrap, Rubber Bands, Water, Lab Sheet

Procedure:

Jar 1- Tape a thermometer to the cardboard strip and place it in jar 1 so that it is viewable from the outside. Leave this jar unsealed. This jar is the control.

Jar 2- Tape the second thermometer to another cardboard strip and place it in jar 2 so that it is viewable from the outside. Seal the top of the jar with a rubber band and plastic wrap insuring a tight seal. This jar represents earth and its atmosphere.

Jar 3- Take the smaller jar and fill it half with sand and the other half with room temperature water. Place a thermometer in the water and place the small jar inside of the larger mason jar. Take another thermometer and place it in the large jar between the small jar. Cover the large mason jar with plastic wrap and a rubber band like done to jar 2. This jar represents Earth, the atmosphere, and a body of water.

Take the three jars and place them on the 3 white sheets of paper. Angle the heat lamp at the three jars. Make sure the lamp is facing the cardboard strips and not the thermometer.  Record the 4 temperatures of the thermometers immediately in the data charts provided. Record the temperatures again every five minutes for the first thirty minutes. Also record any changes you see. Complete the Analysis section.

Results/Analysis:

Jar 1 was our control and by leaving the jar uncovered, it acted as the earth without an atmosphere. Jar 2 was covered so it had an atmosphere where the greenhouse gases could get trapped and it was also an example of a large area of land with no bodies of water. Jar 3 was also covered and had a small jar placed inside as an example of a water source such as an ocean or lake. Jar 2 got progressively hotter because the heat was being trapped while Jar 3’s temperature was regulated by the water source. We came to the conclusion that areas near oceans stay cooler so that is why Jar 3 remained slightly cooler than Jar 2. Even though this is not exactly what happens on earth; the air near the a body of water is always being replaced while in our experiment, the air was contained. We also observed that the water in the small jar in Jar 3 had stayed the same throughout the experiment. Since air has a lower heat capacity and can store energy quicker, the air responded faster to the light from the heat lamp than the water.

By completing this experiment, we learned that the light from the heat lamp greatly affected the temperature of the jars, but with the plastic coverings on two of them, the temperature of the jar increased quickly in a short amount of time. The body of water in the third jar also affected the temperature of the air, keeping it cooler than Jar 2. With this experiment, we saw the effect of greenhouse gases and the atmosphere on earth in a simplified representation, however, the same problems are occurring daily on our planet. While some greenhouse gases are natural and the atmosphere traps them, it keeps the earth’s temperature at a level that allows us to live comfortably. If we keep adding dangerous levels of greenhouse gas and other emissions, it could cause the earth’s temperature to rise into unsafe levels. Weather is affected, sea level rises and other natural disasters can occur because of global warming. This experiment teaches us the way the atmosphere and natural greenhouse gases affect the earth its natural state, but it is up to us to protect our planet from unnatural emissions, threatening our safety and health.