Earth Science Regents Performance Test Bead Drop“Settli.ppt

Earth Science Regents Performance Test Bead Drop:“Settling it once and for all!” Bead Drop Research Team -SUNY Oneonta Dr. Jim Ebert, Earth Sciences Dept. Ron Chapin Trish Emmons Don Zaengle Gerald Jones Tom Sansone Student Participants Student participants in the Station 5 research project were Secondary Education/Earth Science Students enrolled in ESCI 315: Laboratory Techniques in Earth Science in the Spring semesters of 1999 and 2000 Variables investigated in 1999 Variation in bead density with temperature Variation in fluid density with temperature Changing time to terminal velocity with fluid height in column Variation in fluid viscosity with temperature Research in 2000 Focus on viscosity change with temperature Construct correction curves? Examine other fluids with less temperature-dependent viscosity Let’s drop some Beads!! ESCI 315 data for Red Beads ESCI 315 data - Green Beads ESCI 315 data – Orange Beads Settling Time –expanded scale Settling Time –expanded scale Range of settling timeswith temperature Viscosity and settling time Water-based solutions show significant changes in viscosity with changes in temperature Settling time may vary by up to 50% over range of typical classroom temperatures Vegetable oil shows very slight changes in viscosity and therefore settling time with changes in temperature “Channeling”and water-based solutions Water-based solutions displayed an unexpected “channeling” effect A visible “channel” was observed in the fluid column Beads entering this channel settled significantly faster than beads outside the channel Settling times in water-based solutions may vary by up to 6 seconds at a single temperature! CONCLUSIONS Use Vegetable Oil for Station 5 Viscosity and therefore settling time is less affected by temperature during administration of the practical With vegetable oil, it should be possible to make up a single key for each set-up and not have different keys for different times of day/temperatures. Helpful hints