Celebrate the Start of Summer with a fun Air Quality Experiment!
Hi friends!
Summer is just around the corner! This means longer and hotter days ahead. Did you know that ozone levels increase when it’s hotter outside? This increases the pollution levels in our environment and can make it harder for you to breathe, too. You can all help me in my mission to create positive change in the environment by getting your family and friends involved in fun activities and crafts that are easy to do, and will help make the world a better place.
It can be hard to understand how air pollution can affect your breathing when you can’t physically see it. Even when it’s sunny outside, air pollution can be bad for our health. Try this simple DIY air pollution experiment at home with an adult to show them that the things we cannot see in the air can still affect our health and wellness.
What you need:
- 3-4 clear plastic plates
- Permanent marker
- Petroleum jelly
- Masking tape/poster putty
- 3-4 blank pieces of paper
- Magnifying glass
Procedure:
- Use a marker to label each of your plates with a different room around your house
- After your plates are labeled, spread a thin layer of petroleum jelly on each
*Be sure to use the same amount of jelly on each plate - Use your masking tape or putty to hang the plates in each room
- Wait 2-3 days and then collect your plates.
- Place each plate on a piece of white paper and use a magnifying glass to observe the different particles that were collected
Sometimes we forget how harmful air pollution can be when we can’t see the particles in the air that we are breathing in. Since your respiratory system is still developing, it is important to limit your exposure to poor air quality whenever you can to help keep yourself healthy! I hope you liked the experiment and learned a little more about what particles can be in the air even though we may not always be able to see them.
Until next time!
Your pal,
– Scooter
This experiment idea came from AprilAire.com.