Visible Air Pollution: You've Got to See It to Believe It!
Figure 1. A microscopic view of automobile exhaust, a source of air pollution.Copyright Prentice Hall Science – Ecology Earth's Natural Resources, Prentice Hall, Inc., 1993, p. 79.
Students develop an understanding of visible air pollutants with an incomplete combustion demonstration, a "smog in a jar" demonstration, building simple particulate matter collectors, and exploration of engineering roles related to air pollution. In an associated literacy activity, students learn basic marketing concepts and techniques, and the principles of comparative analysis, while creating an advertisement for a hybrid vehicle. Note: You may want to set up the associated activities simultaneously as they require extended data collection time and can share test sites.
Engineers continually work to prevent smog and visible particulate matter pollution so our air is safe to breathe. One mechanical engineering invention is a catalytic converter that reduces smog by changing hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in automobile exhaust into less harmful carbon dioxide and water vapor. Engineers continue to explore new, creative ideas to lower the emissions into the air, such as designing more efficient vehicles and filters to reduce the amount of particulate matter released into the atmosphere by the machinery and manufacturing processes of our modern world.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Identify the two major types of visible pollutants, smog and particulate matter.
- Understand and explain how air pollutants are generated.
- Understand and explain how smog forms.
- Describe how engineers interact with visible air pollution.