A Study On
Fire And
Global
Warming
Introduction
Our project is a study on fire and global warming. Nicole Curran, Doireann Lynam and Alesi Horan from Colaiste Lorcain, Castledermot, Co. Kildare did this project.
Our Aims
When starting our project we aimed to examine how a fire extinguisher works, also to burn the humus in soil and to measure the carbon dioxide that comes off the soil when the humus is burnt, we also aimed to see how much carbon dioxide would be used in a room when you burnt different types of candles. We also aimed to compare the
amount of carbon dioxide that comes off turf and coal while turning into acid. We will also show that burnt soil
Homemade
Fire
Extinguisher
Chemicals and Apparatus Used:
-An empty plastic jar -An empty film canister -Baking soda
-Vinegar -Scissors
-A bendy plastic sipping straw -Tape
Method
1. Make sure jar and film canister are clean and dry.
2. Fill up film canister with baking soda put lid on top
but do not click shut.
3. Gently place canister into jar.
4. Poor vinegar in the bottom of the jar.
5. Put the plastic jar aside
6. Take the lid from the plastic jar and carefully punch
a hole with the scissors in the centre of the lid.
7. Then, slip the straw through the hole in lid. Make
sure the bottom of the straw will extend about 2 to 3 inches into the jar, and not go past the lid of the film canister.
8. Next, carefully tape the straw into place. Be careful
to make it air tight and leak-proof.
9. Put the lid on the jar tightly, and tape around the
edges to make sure it is airtight as well.
Simply shake the plastic jar, and point the straw to
“extinguish” the fire. (Watch where you point it…it can be quite messy. If you are able to do this experiment outside, it is even better. The residue can easily be
washed off with a garden hose or bucket of warm water) Now for the science part: the elements of fire are oxygen, fuel, and heat. If you take away one of these aspects,
there is no way a fire can last. The vinegar and baking soda produce a chemical reaction in which the foam eliminates oxygen. If this reactive substance is directed at a flame, it helps eliminate the oxygen, thus aiding in extinguishing the fire.
Please note, however, that this should not be used in place of a real fire extinguisher and that you should be aware of the proper fire safety equipment. The amount of carbon dioxide and water produced in this reaction is not sufficient to completely extinguish a fire.
To Find The
Percentage
Humus In Soil
What Is Humus?
Humus is decayed organic matter example bits of leaves bits of roots in the soil. The humus is the glue that holds the soil particles together.
Materials And Apparatus Used:
Evaporating Dish, Oven, Soil, Bunsen burner, Carbon Dioxide Measurer, Tripod, LabQuest, carbon dioxide sensor
Method:
1. Measure an empty evaporating dish. Write down your result.
2. Collect soil in evaporating dish. Measure the weight of the dish. Again write down your result. 3. Leave in oven over night to dry.
4. Measure the weight of the dry soil. Write down your result.
5. Put your evaporating dish on a tripod and over it place a carbon dioxide measurer. Take your results as you burn the soil on a lab quest for thirty minutes.
Results:
Mass of empty crucible dish = 112.5g
Mass of crucible dish and wet soil = 279.3g
Mass of wet soil=166.8g
A crucible dish and dry soil = 249.2g
Mass of dry soil =136.7g
Loss in mass =30.1g
Percentage Water = 18%
Mass Of Crucible and burnt soil = 240.2g Mass Of Burnt Soil=127.7g
Loss In Mass On Burning=9.0g
Percentage humus=Loss in Mass /Original Mass x 100 9.0/166.8x100=5.3%
When we burn the humus in the soil using a carbon dioxide sensor we recorded a rise in the levels of carbon dioxide. So we conclude that during a forest fire the burning humus in the soil releases carbon dioxide into the air, which would contribute to global warming.
Experiment To
Compare The
Burning Of Coal
And Turf On The
Environment.
Materials and Apparatus Used:
Saucepan, Container with two holes in it, tripod, plastic tubing, two Bunsen burners, water, coal, turf, carbon dioxide sensor, ph sensor, Lab quest, boxes to keep saucepan and container level, retort stand and some cotton wool.
Method:
1. Put some water in the bottom of your container
just below the two holes.
2. Measure 10 grams of each coal and turf and keep
them in separate containers.
3. Put your saucepan on a tripod and your container
on some boxes to keep them level.
4. Put your carbon dioxide sensor in one hole of
5. You need to attach your plastic tubing from the
container into an airtight saucepan and then where your ph sensor is in the hole your plastic tubing should be in that hole as well so make that air tight with cotton wool.
6. You need now to burn your coal while using lab
quest to record your results then after to the same with turf.
Results
The coal was hard to burn, which meant that it takes a long time to burn so it would be very harmful to the environment and the ozone layer.
The turf wasn’t as hard to burn but let off a lot of steam causing a lot of harm to the environment.
To Compare How
Much Oxygen Is
Used In a Room
When Candles are
burnt.
4 different types of candles, carbon dioxide sensor, oxygen sensor, and two retort stands.
Method:
Burn all four candles while recording your results on a lab quest.
Results
The graphs show that oxygen is used up in a room when candles are burnt and carbon dioxide is released.
To Compare The
Levels Of Carbon
Dioxide In Burnt
Soil and Garden Soil
Materials and Apparatus Used:
Two carbon dioxide sensors, two bottles, burnt soil, garden soil and cotton wool.
Method
1. Put your burnt soil and garden soil in the two
bottles.
2. Put your carbon dioxide sensors in them and
3. Set up your lab quest.
Results
We have learnt the burnt soil produces no carbon dioxide because there are no bacteria in it.
Summary
This project on burning collected data on the
following everyday examples where burning takes place.
We learned in science that burning produces carbon dioxide gas and uses oxygen.
Our first experiment we made a fire extinguisher. In our second experiment we found the percentage humus in soil we release carbon dioxide into the air. This is one side effect when forests burn. The
released carbon dioxide can contribute to global warming.
When we burn coal and turf we measured the ph of the water when the fumes dissolved in the water. The ph sensor and the carbon dioxide sensor were used. The ph was more acidic with coal. Burning coal can help form acid rain.
When we burn candles in the room the oxygen levels dropped and the carbon dioxide increased.
We also showed with the carbon dioxide sensor that when you burn soil you kill the bacteria that make the humus and the level of carbon dioxide
