Particulate Matter: For Your Eyes Only
Air is one of Earth's most precious resources, and we need to take care of it in order to preserve the environment and protect human health. To this end, students develop their understanding of visible air pollutants with an incomplete combustion demonstration, a "smog in a jar" demonstration, and by building simple particulate matter collectors.
Students learn about air pollutionCopyright Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SmogNY.jpg
Engineers use a variety of technologies to measure the concentrations and identify types of particulate matter. Before they can clean up pollutants, engineers first learn everything they can about a pollution site (source). They use this scientific information to design new technologies, such as new fuel types, more efficient engines, and industrial process and emissions treatments. These designs help to protect the Earth's environment and resources from human impacts.
Figure 1. Denver on a clear day and on a smoggy, hazy day.Copyright http://www.epa.gov/air/urbanair/pm/effrt1.html
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Identify the two major types of visible pollutants, smog and particulate matter.
- Explain why air pollutants are harmful to human health and the environment.
- Build a simple particulate matter collector.
- Explain how air pollutants are generated during incomplete combustion.
- Make and analyze a pollutant location map.