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Task
Task
The driving question for this project was, "How can we use chemistry to support the chemical treatment of wastewater and various clean water initiatives?" For our group, the answer was electrolysis. Our goal was to purify water in a clean and reliable way through the process of electrolysis.
Electrolysis in the Purification of Water
Electrolysis in the Purification of Water
Before we started this project, we learned about the important components of water. We looked at pollution in water, specifically during the Flint Water Crisis. We then took notes on the different types of bonds that make up water and why it's important to know the structure of water molecules. To gain a deeper understanding of this, we began testing the properties of water through the Pollution in Water Lab and the Acid-Base Lab. We applied these skills to the purification of water, which allowed us to learn how to prevent waste water after analyzing and comparing its elements.
The sole basis of this project was simply water. My group came up with a driving question: how can we purify water in a reliable, reusable, and clean way? Our answer was electrolysis. We first began by doing research on this topic. We found that, in theory, the process of electrolysis can be used to purify water, but we needed some materials in order to effectively filter the water. We ordered all our materials, including the fuel cell, which was necessary for electrolysis in order to convert the hydrogen and oxygen molecules into clean energy. While that was shipping, we decided to use rainwater as our type of water to test. By following the previous labs, we tested all the properties of water that we learned about before purifying it. After recording that data, we put together the purification device and hooked it up to the fuel cell. We also obtained a battery, which acted as the power source. Once it was completely set up, we first put tap water through the device. We found that the process of purification was very slow, so we modified the water by adding an electrolyte. We used salt as the additive, which allowed for the water to be electrically conducted, making it easier for the ions to be separated. Although the difference was not significant, the cathode and anode tubes seemed to be producing the gaseous molecules at a faster rate. After much analyzation, we concluded that our project was successful in the purification and electrolysis process. However, using this device would not be realistic to create safe drinking water, for results were not produced at a quick enough rate. This prototype was a model that could work effectively with greater modifications on a bigger scale.
Important Concepts
Important Concepts
electrolysis - the chemical decomposition of an ionized solution to produce hydrogen and oxygen molecules
We used this process to purify water and turn it into clean energy stored in a fuel cell.
solution - homogenous mixture of two or more substances
We attempted to purify an electrolyzed solution in order to successfully put it through the process of electrolysis.
cohesion - property of similar molecules attracting to each other
adhesion - property of dissimilar molecules attracting to each other
dipole - molecule or part of molecule that contains positively and negatively charged regions
hydrogen bonding - intermolecular force occurring when a hydrogen atom that is bonded to a highly electronegative atom of one molecule is attracted to two unshared electrons of another molecule
polar covalent bond - covalent bond in which the bonded atoms have an unequal attraction for the shared electrons
polar molecule - a molecule in which one end is slightly positive while the other is slightly negative
non-polar covalent bond - covalent bond in which the bonding electrons are shared equally by the bonded atoms resulting in a balanced distribution of electrical charge
electron - negatively charged particle of an atom
ionic bond - chemical bonding that results from the electrical attraction between cations and anions
ion - atom with one or more positive or negative electrical charges
anion - negatively charged ion
cation - positively charged ion
monatomic ion - ion made up of one atom
polyatomic ion - ion made up of two or more atoms with an overall charge
electronegativity - chemical property that describes an atom's ability to attract electrons
oxidation - class of chemical reactions in which the number of electrons in an atom decreases
reduction - class of chemical reactions in which the number of electrons in an atom increases
London Dispersion forces - intermolecular attraction resulting from the uneven distribution of electrons and the creation of temporary dipoles
Reflection
Reflection
Throughout the course of this project, I have learned many new skills and been able to gain more practice in areas that I exceed in. One of these areas include Character. I feel that I showed empathy and respect to my group members when I was open to hearing and learning about their ideas when we first began brainstorming for this project. I also showed good character when I was accountable and self-aware when I was off task. I caught myself slacking off and talking to other groups, so I got back on track and started doing my work. Although this wasn't the most efficient way to work, I eventually finished my portion of the project and took accountability for my actions. Another area where I succeeded in was my Communication skills. When there was something that I didn't understand, I was able to reach out to my group members and ask my teacher questions in order to gain a better understanding of the material. Specifically, my group and I sacrificed our time to improve the quality of our work by going in during lunch to put in that extra effort. We used this time to modify our filter and electrolyzing our water to solve a problem effectively. This reflected strong problem solving skills and communication with each other.
There were also a couple areas where I could use some improvement for future projects. One of these includes Collaboration. There were times where I wasn't always an active participant in the group, which prevented me from really taking in all the information. For instance, I was doing work for another class while a group member was explaining the concept of electrolysis, which is why I did not understand it at first. I should have been paying attention to my group, or at least working on our project instead of other work. However, eventually, I got back on track and did my part of the presentation. To prevent slacking off in the future, I could try my best to eliminate any distractions and build more self-awareness. This correlates to my next area of improvement: Conscientious Learner. As an individual, I am not strong in managing my time, which impacted my productivity. To avoid this from happening for the next project -- or any work at all -- I need to focus on my priorities and on organizing my time to create the best quality of work to the highest of my abilities.
Overall, our project was a success, and my group and I were able to build a progressive consensus. I learned a lot about the important components of water and retained strong collaborative skills while practicing communication within the group. I will also keep my goals in mind for future projects.
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