Hypothesis - We believe that by layering sand, rocks, and charcoal in a funnel in a styrofoam cup, it will make the water clear of any oil that is in it.
Materials
9mL of sand
10mL of yellow-tinted water
1 handful of rocks
1 teaspoon of charcoal
1 styrofoam cup
1 Funnel
1 granulated cylinder
What we are going to do - We will poke asmall hole at the bottom of the styrofoam cup then place the coffee funnel on the bottom of the cup. The first layer will be 3mL of sand, then 1/2 the amount of rocks, and 1/2 teaspoon of charcoal. Then repeated on top. Placing this over a granulated cylinder, we will pour 10mL of water.
Why we are going to do it - The oil will cling to the charcoal covered rocks while the water goes through the sand and coffee filter, producing clear water.
Fail or Success? -Fail.
While running our experiment, the coffee filter shifted which caused the charcoal to fall out of the filter and mix with our water. This led to a result of black water rather than clear.
the styrofoam cup
the black water
Experiment 2 - Part Two Hypothesis - The Styrofoam cup was not the way to go. Instead, we believe that if we take a funnel, place a coffee filter inside, layer it with sand, rocks, and charcoal, we will be able to get clean water.
Materials
20mL of sand
1/2 teaspoon of charcoal
1/2 handful of rocks
2 coffee filters
20mL of the contaminated water
the black water from our first failed attempt
1 Erlenmeyer flask
1 Granulated Cylinder
1 Funnel
What we are going to do - First, we will place the coffee filter in the funnel. Then, we will take 11mL of sand, 1/2 a handful of rocks, and 1/2 teaspoon of charcoal and place it in the coffee filter. Next, we will put the Erlenmeyer flask underneath and pour the pure foul water in it. Once that is done, we will take out the coffee filter with the used rocks, sand, and charcoal and put a new coffee filter in with just 9mL of sand with the granulated cylinder underneath. Putting the black water from our past failed experiment, we will attempt to clear it.
Why we are going to do it - We believed that the styrofoam cup did not provide a stiff enough area for the coffee filter to sit in, so we wanted to try the same method but in a funnel, like the first experiment. We also want to try to clean the black water because it would be a waste of water we could test to get clean water.Fail or Success? - Partial success!
The first experiment was a success. The water was 95% clean.
Cleaning the black water was a partial success. It was almost as clear as the water in the first try, however, we ran out of time and could not do a second draining. One more draining could clean it as much as it did to the first one.
removing the oil from the foul water
cleaning the black water
For the next experiment, we plan to finish cleaning the blackened water and trying to think of a way to fully clean both waters.
Hypothesis - We believe that by layering sand, rocks, and charcoal in a funnel in a styrofoam cup, it will make the water clear of any oil that is in it.
Materials
What we are going to do - We will poke asmall hole at the bottom of the styrofoam cup then place the coffee funnel on the bottom of the cup. The first layer will be 3mL of sand, then 1/2 the amount of rocks, and 1/2 teaspoon of charcoal. Then repeated on top. Placing this over a granulated cylinder, we will pour 10mL of water.
Why we are going to do it - The oil will cling to the charcoal covered rocks while the water goes through the sand and coffee filter, producing clear water.
Fail or Success? - Fail.
While running our experiment, the coffee filter shifted which caused the charcoal to fall out of the filter and mix with our water. This led to a result of black water rather than clear.
Experiment 2 - Part Two
Hypothesis - The Styrofoam cup was not the way to go. Instead, we believe that if we take a funnel, place a coffee filter inside, layer it with sand, rocks, and charcoal, we will be able to get clean water.
Materials
What we are going to do - First, we will place the coffee filter in the funnel. Then, we will take 11mL of sand, 1/2 a handful of rocks, and 1/2 teaspoon of charcoal and place it in the coffee filter. Next, we will put the Erlenmeyer flask underneath and pour the pure foul water in it. Once that is done, we will take out the coffee filter with the used rocks, sand, and charcoal and put a new coffee filter in with just 9mL of sand with the granulated cylinder underneath. Putting the black water from our past failed experiment, we will attempt to clear it.
Why we are going to do it - We believed that the styrofoam cup did not provide a stiff enough area for the coffee filter to sit in, so we wanted to try the same method but in a funnel, like the first experiment. We also want to try to clean the black water because it would be a waste of water we could test to get clean water.Fail or Success? - Partial success!
For the next experiment, we plan to finish cleaning the blackened water and trying to think of a way to fully clean both waters.