Week 2 Lab
Lab 2 – Water Quality and Contamination
Experiment 1: Effects of Groundwater Contamination
Table 1: Water Observations (Smell, Color, Etc.)
BeakerObservations
1This beaker has water only, clear with no smell
2I mixed oil in the water, the oil then started to settle at the top of the water. (oil is not a soluble) 3Beaker contained vinegar and water, the water got a little cloudy and the vinegar smell is very strong. 4The water and laundry detergent mix had a soapy look to it, water also became cloudy. Bubbles were on top. 5Soil and water, the soil has made the water is brown and dirty looking; I can also smell the soil. 6The oil is still at the top of the water
7The vinegar smell is still very strong.
8The water color is still light brown, and foggy with no smell.
POST LAB QUESTIONS
1.Develop hypotheses on the ability of oil, vinegar, and laundry detergent to contaminate groundwater.
a.Oil hypothesis = The oil will not change the amount of water in the beaker. b.Vinegar hypothesis = Vinegar will contaminate.
c.Laundry detergent hypothesis = The detergent will contaminate the water.
2.Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept each hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this.
a.Oil hypothesis accept/reject = Accept because the oil is stuck inside of the soil. b.Vinegar hypothesis accept/reject = Accept because the vinegar went through the soil. c.Laundry detergent hypothesis accept/reject = Reject because the detergent changed the viscosity of the water.
3.What affects did each of the contaminants have on the water in the experiment? Which contaminant seemed to have the most potent effect on the water?
Answer = I would say that the Vinegar was he more potent on the water; I say that because the vinegar passed right through the soil leaving the water more dirty. The oil settled into the soil, so hardly any water could pass.
4.Using at least 1 scholarly source, discuss what type of affects these contaminants (oil, vinegar, detergent) might have on a town’s water source and the people who drank the water?
Answer = Just thinking about everything, water can carry lots of bacteria that we can’t see with the naked eye. Toxins in our water supply or drinking polluted water can make a whole town very sick.
5.Describe what type of human activity would cause contaminants like oil, acid and detergents to flow into the water supply? Additionally, what other items within your house do you believe could contaminate the water supply if you were to dump them onto the ground?
Answer = I cook a lot in my house; I can honestly say that I usually dump my left over grease out the backdoor into the grass which is horrible. I know for a fact that this will ruin the grass and contaminate the soil; the spot where I have been dumping the oil has killed the grass completely. I now have more knowledge, on why these thing need to be disposed of properly.
Experiment 2: Water Treatment
POST LAB QUESTIONS
1.Develop a hypothesis on the ability of your filtration technique to remove contaminants.
Hypothesis = By using coagulants along with different materials this can remove groundwater contamination.
2.Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept the hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this.
Accept/Reject = I Would have to say that I accept bleach decontaminated the water by changing the alkalinity of the water.
3.What are the differences in color, smell, visibility, etc. between the “contaminated” water and the “treated” water?
Answer = The treated water is clear, there is no odor coming from the water.
4.From the introduction to this lab, you know that there are typically five steps involved in the water treatment process. Identify the processes (e.g., coagulation) that were used in this lab and describe how they were performed....
References: Turk, J., & Bensel, T. (2014). Contemporary environmental issues (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Experiment 1: Effects of Groundwater Contamination
Table 1: Water Observations (Smell, Color, Etc.)
BeakerObservations
1This beaker has water only, clear with no smell
2I mixed oil in the water, the oil then started to settle at the top of the water. (oil is not a soluble) 3Beaker contained vinegar and water, the water got a little cloudy and the vinegar smell is very strong. 4The water and laundry detergent mix had a soapy look to it, water also became cloudy. Bubbles were on top. 5Soil and water, the soil has made the water is brown and dirty looking; I can also smell the soil. 6The oil is still at the top of the water
7The vinegar smell is still very strong.
8The water color is still light brown, and foggy with no smell.
POST LAB QUESTIONS
1.Develop hypotheses on the ability of oil, vinegar, and laundry detergent to contaminate groundwater.
a.Oil hypothesis = The oil will not change the amount of water in the beaker. b.Vinegar hypothesis = Vinegar will contaminate.
c.Laundry detergent hypothesis = The detergent will contaminate the water.
2.Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept each hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this.
a.Oil hypothesis accept/reject = Accept because the oil is stuck inside of the soil. b.Vinegar hypothesis accept/reject = Accept because the vinegar went through the soil. c.Laundry detergent hypothesis accept/reject = Reject because the detergent changed the viscosity of the water.
3.What affects did each of the contaminants have on the water in the experiment? Which contaminant seemed to have the most potent effect on the water?
Answer = I would say that the Vinegar was he more potent on the water; I say that because the vinegar passed right through the soil leaving the water more dirty. The oil settled into the soil, so hardly any water could pass.
4.Using at least 1 scholarly source, discuss what type of affects these contaminants (oil, vinegar, detergent) might have on a town’s water source and the people who drank the water?
Answer = Just thinking about everything, water can carry lots of bacteria that we can’t see with the naked eye. Toxins in our water supply or drinking polluted water can make a whole town very sick.
5.Describe what type of human activity would cause contaminants like oil, acid and detergents to flow into the water supply? Additionally, what other items within your house do you believe could contaminate the water supply if you were to dump them onto the ground?
Answer = I cook a lot in my house; I can honestly say that I usually dump my left over grease out the backdoor into the grass which is horrible. I know for a fact that this will ruin the grass and contaminate the soil; the spot where I have been dumping the oil has killed the grass completely. I now have more knowledge, on why these thing need to be disposed of properly.
Experiment 2: Water Treatment
POST LAB QUESTIONS
1.Develop a hypothesis on the ability of your filtration technique to remove contaminants.
Hypothesis = By using coagulants along with different materials this can remove groundwater contamination.
2.Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept the hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this.
Accept/Reject = I Would have to say that I accept bleach decontaminated the water by changing the alkalinity of the water.
3.What are the differences in color, smell, visibility, etc. between the “contaminated” water and the “treated” water?
Answer = The treated water is clear, there is no odor coming from the water.
4.From the introduction to this lab, you know that there are typically five steps involved in the water treatment process. Identify the processes (e.g., coagulation) that were used in this lab and describe how they were performed....
References: Turk, J., & Bensel, T. (2014). Contemporary environmental issues (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
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