Calculating Density of Water Lab:
Density Lab Notes
Density Lab Notes
What is Stratification?
Stratification is when water masses with different densities move around in the ocean. This happens so that the structure, circulation and productivity of the oceans enables them to survive. Without the process of stratification, the oceans' living systems would fail. Water density is influenced by temperature and salinity, where less dense, warmer waters float on top of dense, cold waters. This border between the different densities of water is called the thermocline.
How does Stratification work?
The process of stratification may seem easy, but how water moves around is much more difficult. Of course, water cannot mix water densities across the thermocline, but there are other nature's forces that help. Wind, up-welling and down-welling and storms help the process of stratification. This mixing of the water densities is very important to the ecosystem productivity because it brings nutrients to the surface and oxygen to the deep waters. What also helps the water's ecosystem is the spring bloom. It provides food for many marine animals and has a very important role in the oceans' ecosystem.
As we learned that stratification does a huge positive impact in the oceans, we also learned that it can also affect the oceans in a negative way. How so? When the temperature of coastal waters increase, the thermocline strengthens. In turn, making it harder for nutrients to reach the water surface. This can be caused by widespread biomass loss and changes in species composition. And because of that, the zooplankton business decreased by 80%. There were several cases when the water temperatures rose by 1.5oC and made it hard for nutrient rich water to reach the water surface.
Stratification is when water masses with different densities move around in the ocean. This happens so that the structure, circulation and productivity of the oceans enables them to survive. Without the process of stratification, the oceans' living systems would fail. Water density is influenced by temperature and salinity, where less dense, warmer waters float on top of dense, cold waters. This border between the different densities of water is called the thermocline.
How does Stratification work?
The process of stratification may seem easy, but how water moves around is much more difficult. Of course, water cannot mix water densities across the thermocline, but there are other nature's forces that help. Wind, up-welling and down-welling and storms help the process of stratification. This mixing of the water densities is very important to the ecosystem productivity because it brings nutrients to the surface and oxygen to the deep waters. What also helps the water's ecosystem is the spring bloom. It provides food for many marine animals and has a very important role in the oceans' ecosystem.
As we learned that stratification does a huge positive impact in the oceans, we also learned that it can also affect the oceans in a negative way. How so? When the temperature of coastal waters increase, the thermocline strengthens. In turn, making it harder for nutrients to reach the water surface. This can be caused by widespread biomass loss and changes in species composition. And because of that, the zooplankton business decreased by 80%. There were several cases when the water temperatures rose by 1.5oC and made it hard for nutrient rich water to reach the water surface.
Calculating Density of Water Lab:
Density Lab
Density Lab
Lesson Objective: Find how density differences affect stratification, some causes for stratification, and how mixing affects a water column with different density properties.
Materials:
Two 250 mL beakers, one 500 mL beaker
Electronic Scale
Glass stirring rod
Pickling Salt, Water Samples (Warm and Cold), and Food Coloring (Yellow and Blue)
iPad/Camera (Photo taking about the Report)
For our first process of doing the water density lab, we weighed both empty beakers. The results we got from beaker one was 116.6 grams. And for beaker two, we got 116.2 grams. We then measured 250 mL of cold/room temperature water and poured it into beaker one and did the same with beaker two, although for this beaker, we measured 250 mL of warm water.
Two 250 mL beakers, one 500 mL beaker
Electronic Scale
Glass stirring rod
Pickling Salt, Water Samples (Warm and Cold), and Food Coloring (Yellow and Blue)
iPad/Camera (Photo taking about the Report)
For our first process of doing the water density lab, we weighed both empty beakers. The results we got from beaker one was 116.6 grams. And for beaker two, we got 116.2 grams. We then measured 250 mL of cold/room temperature water and poured it into beaker one and did the same with beaker two, although for this beaker, we measured 250 mL of warm water.
Next, we added 20 grams of salt and added five drops of blue food coloring to beaker one. We used the stirring rod to stir it up until the salt dissolved. Then we added five drops of yellow food coloring to beaker two. After that, we weighed both beakers with the water and food coloring. For beaker one, the mass was 319.7 grams. For beaker two, the mass was 302.7 grams. Below is a chart of our calculation of mass, volume, and density and pictures of our beakers.
For our second part of the water density lab, my partner and I poured the warm, fresh water from beaker one into a bigger beaker, a 500 mL beaker, and we placed it onto a table to settle. Next, (and here's the hard part), we carefully, gently, slowly, CAREFULLY added the cold water from beaker two into beaker one, the 500 mL beaker. We did this to create a thermocline. We wanted to create three different layers of density. On the top, we had yellow dyed warm water, and beneath that, we had somewhat dense green dyed water, and underneath all that, we had dense blue dyed water. Since the blue water is dense, it sinks to the bottom. The green-ish dyed water is not as dense as the blue, but it stays in the middle, in between the blue and the yellow. The yellow dyed water is not dense, so it stays at the top. As we continued to pour more water into the bigger beaker, we noticed that the yellow water decreased more and more as we poured. The blue turned into green. And the green, the second layer, it continued to increase. But do you know what was really exciting? My partner and I were successful in making a green layer! (Yay!!)
Observations/Reviews
How did we create a third layer? It's quite easy, actually. You have to listen to the directions. xP But more importantly, I had to be careful when pouring the water. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have created such a perfect third layer as you can see in the fourth picture up above. I very slowly poured the water into the bigger beaker in which I had tilted to make the pouring easier. The trick to doing this is do it slowly but quickly. As the blue water was poured into the yellow water, it slowly mixed. It had created a green layer underneath the yellow. (See picture four up above.)
Lesson Review
Alright, let's review our lesson from waay above. Why is thermal stratification significant to the oceans and why does it occur? Stratification is the mixing of the oceans' thermocline. It occurs because it is very important to the habitants of the ocean. It creates and sustains life. What is the name of temperature stratification? The name is thermal stratification. Give a reason why thermal stratification of the ocean is important. It's important to the economy of the ocean because it brings nutrients from the deep waters to the surface and oxygen from the surface to the deep waters.
Lesson Review
Alright, let's review our lesson from waay above. Why is thermal stratification significant to the oceans and why does it occur? Stratification is the mixing of the oceans' thermocline. It occurs because it is very important to the habitants of the ocean. It creates and sustains life. What is the name of temperature stratification? The name is thermal stratification. Give a reason why thermal stratification of the ocean is important. It's important to the economy of the ocean because it brings nutrients from the deep waters to the surface and oxygen from the surface to the deep waters.