Energy Sources And Alternative Energy Lab

Carefully review the Grading Rubric before beginning the assignment.

Read “Lab 4: Energy Sources and Alternative Energy.” This lab will allow you to investigate the effects of acid mine drainage through experimentation. Additionally, it will allow for the exploration of solar energy through the use of a solar cell motor. Then, you will utilize this information and your eScience lab kit to complete Experiments 1 and 2 on the Week Four Lab Reporting Form. Make sure to complete all of the following items before submission::

1. Read through introductory material.
2. Perform Experiment 1: The Effects of Coal Mining using your eScience lab manual and kit.
3. Complete Table 1 and answer the Post Lab Questions 1 through 4 in complete sentences on the Week Four Lab Reporting Form.
4. Perform Experiment 2: Solar Energy using your eScience lab manual and kit.
5. Complete Table 2 and answer Post Lab Questions 1 through 5 in complete sentences on the Week Four Lab Reporting Form.

Submit the Week Four Lab Reporting Form via Waypoint. The document does not need to include a title page or other APA formatting; however, any outside sources utilized in your answers must be referenced in proper APA format

Lab 4 – Energy Sources and Alternative Energy

Experiment 1: The Effects of Coal Mining

Table 1: pH of Water Samples
Water Sample	Initial pH	Final pH (24-48 hours)
Pyrite
Activated Carbon
Water

POST LAB QUESTIONS

1. Develop hypotheses predicting the effect of pyrite and coal on the acidity of water?

a. Pyrite hypothesis =

b. Coal hypothesis =

2. Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept each hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this.

a. Pyrite hypothesis accept/reject =

b. Coal hypothesis accept/reject =

3. Based on your data, what effect do you predict coal mining has on the environment?

Answer =

4. What can be done to prevent mine drainage from damaging the ecosystem? Utilize at least one scholarly resource to support your suggestions.

Answer =

Experiment 2: Solar Energy

Table 2: Solar Energy Experiment Results
Environmental Descriptor/Variable	Observations (Each should be compared against direct subnlight)
Weather of the Day
Motor speed in direct sunlight
Motor speed at 45 degree angle
Motor speed under reflectors
Motor speed with 25% shaded
Motor speed with 50% shaded
Motor speed with 75% shaded
Motor speed under red filtration
Motor speed under blue filtration
Motor speed under green filtration
Motor speed under yellow filtration

Post-Lab Questions

1. Develop hypotheses predicting the efficiency of solar energy from direct sunlight against the 4 variables tested?

Direct vs indirect hypothesis =

Direct vs reflected hypothesis =

Direct vs shaded hypothesis =

Direct vs filtered hypothesis =

2. Based on the results of your experiment, would you reject or accept each hypothesis that you produced in question 1? Explain how you determined this.

Direct vs indirect accept/reject =

Direct vs reflected accept/reject =

Direct vs shaded accept/reject =

Direct vs filtered accept/reject =

3. Does increased exposure to the sun’s light produce more current? Explain how you know this based on your data?

Answer =

4. How could you increase the electricity generated by a solar cell during the day, when the sun’s angle is constantly changing?

Answer =

5. Based on your data, could adding filters to solar panels increase the solar energy produced? Explain how you know this.

Answer =

References

Any sources utilized should be listed here.