Search for Science Fair Projects

1000 Science Fair Projects with Complete Instructions

Global Warming Science Fair Project

Carbon Dioxide Concentration and Heat Retention

Hard
Carbon Dioxide Concentration and Heat Retention | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Does air with more carbon dioxide hold onto heat longer? Normal air contains about 0.04% carbon dioxide. Exhaled breath has about 4%, and car exhaust has roughly 12%. You seal three fish tanks with black soil at the bottom. One holds normal air. The second holds air blown from your lungs. The third holds car exhaust fumes. Heat each tank to 32 degrees Celsius with a lamp, then turn the lamp off. Record the temperature every 10 minutes for one hour. The tank with car exhaust cools the slowest. The tank with normal air cools the fastest.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that higher carbon dioxide content in the air will contribute to warmer temperatures.

Method & Materials

You will fill three water tanks with a layer of black soil, blow air from your lungs into one tank, and fill the third tank with air from a car exhaust. You will then measure the temperature of the air in the tanks using an infrared thermometer.
You will need three incandescent lamps, three fish tanks with air tight covers and a small 15-20mm diameter opening, 300 mm rubber hose 15-20 mm in diameter, 1meter rubber hose 15-20 mm in diameter, 1 air tight plastic bag, 1 infrared thermometer, stop watch, masking tape, 3 kg of black colored soil, a car, and an assistant.

Results

The results show that the first tank with the normal air cools down the quickest and the third tank, with the air from the car exhaust, cools down the slowest. This proves that higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the air will slow down the rate at which the temperature of the air falls.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it shows how carbon dioxide affects global temperatures and how it can lead to global warming.

Also Consider

Experiment variations include using water to replace the soil in the tank and using a hair dryer to obtain a higher starting temperature.

Full project details

Additional information and source material for this project are available below.

Related videos

These videos explain the science behind this project and demonstrate key concepts used in the experiment.
Share this Science Project:

Related Science Fair Project Ideas

Forest, Farm, and Compost Soil Quality
Collect soil from a forest and two farmed fields to see how management changes its color and nutrient levels.
Hard
Plant Roots and Copper Removal from Soil
Grow plants in copper-treated soil and measure whether their roots can pull the metal out of the ground.
Hard
Lead Pipes and Tap Water Contamination
Collect tap water from five old houses with lead pipes and five new houses with PVC, then send all ten samples to a lab for lead testing.
Hard
Share this Science Project: