Potty Mouth Worksheet

Potty Mouth Worksheet

Potty Mouth Worksheet

Intro Questions

1. Describe how earthquakes occur. Use the words fault line, earth's crust and plate tectonics.
2. Water is necessary for survival. Where in your house can you find safe drinking water?
3. How is pH measured? What is the pH of pure, drinkable water?
4. Are high levels of nitrates dangerous? What is the standard (highest limit) for nitrates in safe drinkable water?
5. Which will be most different for the samples: nitrates, pH or temperature? Why?

Data Table

Testing Samples: toilet water (teacher-created), distilled water, tap water, mystery water

Temperature (ºC) / pH / Nitrate (mg/L) / Hypothesis: which sample?
Sample A
Sample B
Sample C
Sample D

Analysis

1. What patterns do you notice for the samples' temperature? pH? Nitrates? Any surprises?
2. How will you prepare for a future earthquake in your home?
3. What things could make a difference in water quality between toilets?

Advanced Make a bar graph of this data.

Procedure: Temperature

  1. Rinse the sensor with distilled water over waste cup.
  2. Test each sample, rinsing the sensor in between each test. Record the values in the data table.

Procedure: pH

  1. Remove the sensor from the storage bottle and rinse with distilled water over the waste cup. Gently blot dry.
  2. Test each sample, rinsing the probe in between each test. Record the values in the data table.
  3. After last test, rinse and replace probe in the storage bottle with solution.

Procedure: Nitrate

  1. Remove sensor from short-term storage and rinse with distilled water over the waste cup. Gently blot dry.
  2. Pour "high solution" into "short-term storage" container and place the sensor inside. Use egg carton to keep bottle upright. This needs to soak for 30 minutes.
  3. Connect the sensor to the LabQuest unit.
  4. Choose Calibrate from the experiment menu and then click Calibrate Now.
  5. When the displayed voltage stabilizes (about 1 minute), enter 100 into High Standard Calibration box. Press Keep.
  6. Remove the sensor from the high standard solution and rinse with distilled water. Gently blot dry.
  7. Pour the high standard solution back into its bottle. Rinse the short-term storage bottle.
  8. Pour the low standard solution into the short-term storage bottle and place the sensor inside.
  9. When displayed voltage stabilizes (about 1 minute), enter 1 into "Low Standard" Calibration box. Press Keep and then OK.
  10. Remove the sensor from the low standard solution and rinse with distilled water. Gently blot dry.
  11. Pour the low standard solution back into its bottle. Rinse the short-term storage bottle.
  12. Test each sample, rinsing the probe in between each test. Record the values in the data table.
  13. After last test, rinse sensor and gently blot dry. Pour a small amount of water into the long-term storage bottle and place sensor inside.
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