Chocolate oil spill: big tankers don't cause all oil spills--many smaller accidents occur during recreational boating. But regardless of size, a leak still impacts local fish and wildlife. What's the best way to clean up an oily mishap? Find out with this activity. (Hands-On Activity).YOU NEED: large rectangular glass baking dish (or equivalent) * tablespoon * measuring cup * medium mixing bowl * spoon or stir stick * tap water * 2- to 3-inch squares of absorbent absorbent /ab·sor·bent/ (-sor´bent) 1. able to take in, or suck up and incorporate. 2. a tissue structure involved in absorption. 3. a substance that absorbs or promotes absorption. materials (cotton balls, styrofoam, paper towels, sponge, extra fine steel wool steel wool, abrasive material composed of long steel fibers of varying degrees of fineness that are matted together. The coarser grades are used to remove paint and other finishes, the finer grades for polishing or smoothing a finished surface. ) * pair of weezers * stopwatch/clock * 8 tablespoons cocoa powder Noun 1. cocoa powder - the powdery remains of chocolate liquor after cocoa butter is removed; used in baking and in low fat and low calorie recipes and as a flavoring for ice cream chocolate - a food made from roasted ground cacao beans * 12 tablespoons vegetable oil * 1/4 cup dish soap dish soap n (US) → lavavajillas m inv dish soap n (US) → produit m pour la vaisselle dish soap dish (US TO DO: 1. Fill the baking dish halfway with water. 2. In the mixing bowl, thoroughly stir together the cocoa powder and vegetable oil. This is your crude oil. 3. From a height of 1 cm above the water's surface, very slowly pour the simulated crude oil into one spot in the water. 4. Observe. What happens to the oil when it hits the water? How might environmental conditions of the open ocean affect this? 5. Allow the mixture to stand for five minutes. Observe the changes. 6. Test absorbent materials for their ability to clean up oil spills This is a list of oil spills throughout the world. Large Oil Spills to Date Oil Spills of over 100,000 tonnes or 30 million US gallons, ordered by Tonnes Spill / Tanker Location Date *Tons of crude oil link : Carefully place a sample of one material on the surface of the oil-covered water. Measure and record the length of time it takes for the material to become saturated with liquid. Carefully pluck the saturated square from the water using the tweezers tweezers An instrument with pincers used to grasp or extract. See Optical tweezers. . Repeat for each material. 7. Now add a single drop of the dispersant dis·per·sant n. Chemistry A liquid or gas added to a mixture to promote dispersion or to maintain dispersed particles in suspension. (dish soap) to the center of the oil spill. Observe. Remember to look through the side of the glass dish. CONCLUSIONS: Which material seems to clear the water of the most oil? Create a line graph of your results. Which material absorbs oil the fastest? What are some problems and benefits of using chemical dispersants compared to absorbent materials? What do you think is the best method to clean up an oil spill? Research to see if your conclusion matches that of experts. TAKE IT FURTHER: Chemical dispersants are often used to clean large oil spills, but the Clean Water Act prohibits their use in U.S. waters without Coast Guard permission. Why? |
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