Environmental Science

Convection Currents

Convection currents are the result of differential heating. Lighter (less dense), warm material rises while heavier (more dense) cool material sinks. It is this movement that creates circulation patterns known as convection currents in the atmosphere, in water, and the mantle of Earth. Below are pictures of students demonstrating how cold water sinks and hot water rises to create convection currents. Notice how the cold water (blue) streams downward, and the hot water (red) flows on top.

Biogeochemical Cycles Webquest Project

The movement of matter within and between ecosystems are biological, geological, and chemical processes. These cycles are known as biogeochemical cycles. Environmental Science students are currently working on a project to describe and explain how water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycle within ecosystems. After completing this project, they should also be able to discuss the movement of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sulfur within ecosystems.

Electromagnetic Spectrum

When you think of light, you probably think of what your eyes can see. But the light to which our eyes are sensitive is just the beginning; it is a sliver of the total amount of light that surrounds us. The electromagnetic spectrum is the term used by scientists to describe the entire range of light that exists. From radio waves to gamma rays, most of the light in the universe is, in fact, invisible to us!

Light is a wave of alternating electric and magnetic fields. The propagation of light isn’t much different than waves crossing an ocean. Like any other wave, light has a few fundamental properties that describe it. One is its frequency, measured in hertz (Hz), which counts the number of waves that pass by a point in one second. Another closely related property is wavelength: the distance from the peak of one wave to the peak of the next. These two attributes are inversely related. The larger the frequency, the smaller the wavelength – and vice versa.

To help learn about the electromagnetic spectrum, students in the Environmental Science class completed the Electromagnetic Spectrum Drawing Project. Students chose the specific region of the electromagnetic spectrum they wanted to research, then created a visual representation of their findings. This included properties, characteristics, pictures, or drawings about the type of radiation, and how it is used or found in our everyday lives or industries. Please scroll through the images to view their work!

Calculating pH and pOH

pH is an expression of hydrogen ion concentration in water. Specifically, pH is the negative logarithm of hydrogen ion (H+) concentration (mol/L) in an aqueous solution: pH = -log10(H+). The term is used to indicate the basicity or acidity of a solution on a scale of 0 to 14, with pH 7 being neutral. As the concentration of H+ ions in solution increases, acidity increases and pH gets lower. When pH is above 7, the solution is basic. The students in the Environmental Science class have been learning about the importance of having the optimal pH in environmental systems. In addition, they understand how the pH scale is determined and know how to mathematically calculate the pH and pOH of substances.

Unique Properties of Water

Environmental Science students have been learning about the unique properties of water. To understand and to be able to explain why water is a vital component of most environmental systems, students completed the Energy Levels, Electrons, and Covalent Bonding Lab, where they split water molecules to understand the unique properties of polar covalent bonds.

Plop Plop Fizz Fizz

To learn about the scientific method, Environmental Science students developed and tested a hypothesis, analyzed data, and drew conclusions about what factors determine how fast an Alka-Seltzer can dissolve.