Moebius Strips
Students make Moebius strips and use them to demonstrate the interconnectedness of an environment. They explore four natural cycles — water, oxygen/carbon dioxide, carbon, nitrogen — that exist within the environment.
Figure 1. A Moebius strip.Copyright http://www.cut-the-knot.org/do_you_know/moebius.shtml
It is incredibly important for environmental engineers to be familiar with the water cycle, oxygen/carbon dioxide cycle, carbon cycle and nitrogen cycle as they make decisions that ensure that environments are safe for its inhabitants. Environmental engineers use their knowledge of the abiotic (non-living) parts of our environment to design systems that provide us with clean water to drink, safe air to breathe and natural resources that are protected for future generations.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe the water, oxygen/carbon dioxide, carbon and nitrogen cycles.
- Describe how cycles are connected within an environment.
- Understand why engineers need to know about environmental cycles.