During the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing, China, smog was such a concern that air pollution monitors where used to measure the amount of smog in the air during Olympic events. Even the news networks had their own smog monitors to include air pollution reports in their sports coverage. Air pollution, or smog, is growing problem in the world as the population of the planet continues to grow.
Beijing is not the only large city with air pollution problems. Almost all large cities in the world deal with air pollution, typically called smog. Some cities have so much smog that they need to declare health alerts. This is when smog is so dense that it poses health problems for people who live in the city. Local television weather reports report health alerts using an Air Quality Index for their viewing area.
Smog: What is it?
Smog is the photochemical reaction between sunlight and industrial emissions and the burning of carbon-based materials. Smog is a mixture of photochemical pollutants, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. Smog is a mixture of highly reactive chemicals that leave airborne particles in the air, which are dangerous to people and the environment. These highly reactive chemicals mix with tiny water droplets in the air to form air pollution.
Smog:
- comes from the exhaust of cars. Some cities have hundreds of thousands of cars that pollute the air. Car exhaust produces carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and more volatile chemicals.
- sometimes comes from the burning of natural carbon-based materials, such as vegetation in forests – trees and brush. This is referred to as particulate matter pollution. This pollution can also consist of dust, sand, and debris from volcanic eruptions.
- also occurs due to ground level ozone formed when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants, and other sources react chemically in the presence of sunlight.
- forms a thick, dirty, and smelly atmosphere. This in turn contributes to global warming.
The following experiment allows students to use problem solving and science process skills as they investigate the burning of carbon-based materials.
Materials (per group)
- One small glass jar
- 10 ML of water
- 15 cm square piece of aluminum foil
- 3 ice cubes
- Rubber band
- Box of matches
- 15 cm x 3 cm strip of paper
Procedures
- Fold the strip of paper in half and twist it together (not too tight of a twist)
- Place the water in the jar, swirl it around to get the inside wet and pour the excess water out.
- Light the piece of paper and drop it and the match into the jar.
- Place the aluminum foil over the opening of the jar and seal it with the rubber band quickly.
- Place the 3 ice cubes on top the aluminum foil.
- Record your observations.
Student Questions
- What did you observe in the jar?
- If one car makes 18 mile round trip commutes to work five days a week, 48 weeks a year. How much pollution do 100 cars spew into the air we breathe? How about 10,000 cars? How about 600 million cars?
One car pollutes the air with 4,500 lbs. of carbon dioxide (CO2), 160 pounds of carbon monoxide (CO), 16 lbs. of nitrogen oxide (NOx).
See 20 questions to ask students in science projects for additional ideas about questions to ask students.
Investigation Connections
Smoke from the burning paper (carbon-based material) interacts with water droplets in the bottle to form smog. The water droplets are caused by water vapor (water in bottom and side of jar turns to vapor when heated by the burning paper) making contact with the aluminum foil cooled by the ice cubes (similar to water vapor in the air reaching earth’s cold upper atmosphere and condensing into water droplets).
Making Connections with Environmental Air Pollution
All of this smog contributes to air pollution in homes. Along with all the synthetic materials found in homes, air from the outside seeps into homes through windows, doors, and other cracks in poorly insulated or constructed homes. The indoor air quality in the average American home has declined over the past decades, which has lead to the push for green building and living around the world. Air pollution or smog, is a growing concern for everyone who lives on planet Earth.
David R. Wetzel - Dr. David Wetzel's experience includes more than 25 years in continuing, adult, and teacher education.
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