Week 5: May 1, 2015

This is the fifth laboratory meeting period for group 4. Over this past week, the group has been able to acquire sand. So, this period the sand was tested. So in the same way the charcoal was tested last week, the sand was tested this week. Using the same cotton T-shirt fabric, a round "sac" was cut and put together. The sand was then placed inside this "thylakoid sac" and placed in a cup with holes. The sand was made into a thylakoid sac. In a cup, the sand sac and the charcoal sac was placed, and water was ran through the cup, through the sacks and pushed down with the pre-existing prototype pump, the results were undermining. The resulting water turned out to be more dirty and discolored than it began as. The group then began to wonder if sand was not a proficient of a substance as thought. A possible reasoning is that there is dye in the sand, causing the discoloration. However, it was later figured out that it was the charcoal that was causing the discoloration. The sand was re-tested multiple times, and resulted in fairly perfectly clear water. However, when paired with the charcoal, the water becomes discolored to a black color. It is mostly likely that the T-shirt is too porous and too much ash from the charcoal is coming through. For a good amount of time, the sac of charcoal was watered down and through, and re-tested with sand. The color was lighter this time. The issue is that charcoal breaks down with the inclusion of water. The solution is a less porous sac material to not let charcoal ash out. The resulting color of the water is shown in a picture following this blog. For next laboratory period, the group will gather a better material to hold the substance, such as an athletic fabric T-shirt. Also, for next laboratory period, the pump system will be modified because it is found to be not strong enough for multiple trials.