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Global Warming Lab Report

Decent Essays

In this lab we explored the effect a given individual has on the issue of global warming. In part A, which determined the individual output of CO¬2 per year, we measured the mass of the CO¬2 that completely filled the plastic bag, as well as the elapsed time from start to end. From that data, we concluded that a single person can produce about 5.06 x 105 grams of CO2 per year. Although that may seem like an enormous amount, in perspective of the vast size of the Earth’s atmosphere, it barely constitutes 1 percent of the atmosphere. In the second part of the lab, we calculated the amount of CO¬2 that is produced by cars in a year. In my case, my Honda Odyssey travels about 13000 miles per year with a gas mileage of about 25 miles per gallon. …show more content…

In the first part, it is important to address the fact that each individual has different lung capacities. Therefore, the calculated amount of CO2 of each individual will vary from one to the other, resulting in a small variation of the actual amount of CO2 each person outputs per year. In addition, while doing the lab there are several sources of error that can have a direct effect on the calculations. The air escaping from the bag while sealing it, the improper balancing of the bag while measuring its mass and the small amounts of air retained within the bag before flattening it, all influence the final result of the lab. The error could be minimized, if the container used to hold the CO2 was more sophisticated towards retaining air. A simple ziplock bag will always allow some air to leave; however, an experiment involving a completely sealed off room will greatly minimize errors. Finally, to maximize greater efficiency of the total yearly output of CO2 each individual has, measuring the amount of CO2 in smaller amounts of time would be necessary. In the lab, we measured the amount of CO2 needed to fill up a plastic bag and used the elapsed time to find the grams per second value. However, i0066 data from experiments with longer breaths and longer periods of time would be more accurate in finding the exact yearly output of

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