For this project we had to design a product that made dirty drinking water safe to drink. To do this our group desided to make a filter to filter the water. We wanted out filter to be similar to a life straw in the way that it filtered water. We tested the water after it was filtered and treated for healthy pH, iron, chlorine, as well as the hardness of the water. our goal was to make a product that could be easily assembled by someone if they needed clean drinking water.
In the filter we used sand, gravel, activated carbon, cotton balls, and a coffee filter. Gravel is used to filter out large sediments, like leaves or insects, where sand is used to remove fine impurities. The activated charcoal removes contaminants and impurities through chemical absorption. The cotton balls prevent impurities from going through and the coffee filter does the same.
-Solution: A liquid mixture in which the minor component (the solute) is uniformly distributed within the major component (the solvent). We used this to test the water qualities by dissolving a tablet in the earths universal solvent (water).
-Solute: The minor component in a solution, dissolved in the solvent. The tablets that tested the water qualities were the solute of the water that was filtered.
-Solvent: Able to dissolve other substances. In our project the water after it was filtered through was the solvent of the tablet that tested the water qualities.
-Ionic: Chemical bond formed by the electrostatic attraction of oppositely charged ions.
-Molecular: Electrically neutral group of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds. Molecules are distinguished from ions by their lack of electrical charge.
-Polarity: Separation of electric charge leading to a molecule or its chemical groups having an electric dipole moment, with a negatively charged end and a positively charged end.
-Solubility: The ability of a substance (the solute), to mix into a liquid (the solvent).
-Dissolving ions in solution: When ionic compounds dissolve in water, the ions in the solid separate and disperse throughout the solution because water molecules surround and solvate the ions.
-Organic mater: Decaying plant or animal material. Our filter had to filter out leaves and plants in the water.
We had many models of the filter for many different reasons, but we can not say that they improved each time. For example. our first, third and forth products did not work while our second did, I think that that was because when we tried to make it even better after the second one we added to many items to the filter. We also did not keep track of what the second filter was like so we could not go back and see it.
The main problem with the designs, other than the second one was that the water took so long to filter through to the point that it wasn't even worth filtering. So we tried to remove some items from the filter which then lowered the quality of water. Since the quality of water went down we tried to add more elements to the filter which made the filter even slower than the first and second time.
The final project that was created may not have been the best but it was decent. I would still not recommend filtering your water with this if you don't have to. For our final product we took cotton balls out so we only had one, and then we added several inches of sand. The carbon was in between the sand and the cotton balls. At the top of the filter lay some gravel to keep the sand down.
Our Product was solid in most parts of the requirements for drinking water. Standard pH for drinking water falls anywhere from 6-8.5, and after filtering our water tested for a pH level of 7 which falls right in the middle of the standard. If pH is too high or too low it can have damaging effects on the body. Standard iron level in drinking water is from 0 mg - .3 mg. Our water tested for 0 mg of iron. Too much iron can be hard on the body. Chlorine kills all the bacteria in the water, this prevents from contracting diseases from unfit water. Our water tested that there was no chlorine present. If you decided to drink this water you would have to add something to kill the bacteria.
Overall this project was very frustrating. The amount of times that we had to change the model was energy draining and time consuming. And then when we finally got it right and changed it our team took a blow mentally. Our group did a good job communicating to one another to get what needed to be done done, but, one component of our project was put off until the last day. This created some tension in our group. If we had a choice to do this project again I don't think that I would decide to, I also think that my group members would side with me. But this project was a great learning experience because we learned that perseverance is key. Overall this was a solid learning experience.
In the filter we used sand, gravel, activated carbon, cotton balls, and a coffee filter. Gravel is used to filter out large sediments, like leaves or insects, where sand is used to remove fine impurities. The activated charcoal removes contaminants and impurities through chemical absorption. The cotton balls prevent impurities from going through and the coffee filter does the same.
-Solution: A liquid mixture in which the minor component (the solute) is uniformly distributed within the major component (the solvent). We used this to test the water qualities by dissolving a tablet in the earths universal solvent (water).
-Solute: The minor component in a solution, dissolved in the solvent. The tablets that tested the water qualities were the solute of the water that was filtered.
-Solvent: Able to dissolve other substances. In our project the water after it was filtered through was the solvent of the tablet that tested the water qualities.
-Ionic: Chemical bond formed by the electrostatic attraction of oppositely charged ions.
-Molecular: Electrically neutral group of two or more atoms held together by chemical bonds. Molecules are distinguished from ions by their lack of electrical charge.
-Polarity: Separation of electric charge leading to a molecule or its chemical groups having an electric dipole moment, with a negatively charged end and a positively charged end.
-Solubility: The ability of a substance (the solute), to mix into a liquid (the solvent).
-Dissolving ions in solution: When ionic compounds dissolve in water, the ions in the solid separate and disperse throughout the solution because water molecules surround and solvate the ions.
-Organic mater: Decaying plant or animal material. Our filter had to filter out leaves and plants in the water.
We had many models of the filter for many different reasons, but we can not say that they improved each time. For example. our first, third and forth products did not work while our second did, I think that that was because when we tried to make it even better after the second one we added to many items to the filter. We also did not keep track of what the second filter was like so we could not go back and see it.
The main problem with the designs, other than the second one was that the water took so long to filter through to the point that it wasn't even worth filtering. So we tried to remove some items from the filter which then lowered the quality of water. Since the quality of water went down we tried to add more elements to the filter which made the filter even slower than the first and second time.
The final project that was created may not have been the best but it was decent. I would still not recommend filtering your water with this if you don't have to. For our final product we took cotton balls out so we only had one, and then we added several inches of sand. The carbon was in between the sand and the cotton balls. At the top of the filter lay some gravel to keep the sand down.
Our Product was solid in most parts of the requirements for drinking water. Standard pH for drinking water falls anywhere from 6-8.5, and after filtering our water tested for a pH level of 7 which falls right in the middle of the standard. If pH is too high or too low it can have damaging effects on the body. Standard iron level in drinking water is from 0 mg - .3 mg. Our water tested for 0 mg of iron. Too much iron can be hard on the body. Chlorine kills all the bacteria in the water, this prevents from contracting diseases from unfit water. Our water tested that there was no chlorine present. If you decided to drink this water you would have to add something to kill the bacteria.
Overall this project was very frustrating. The amount of times that we had to change the model was energy draining and time consuming. And then when we finally got it right and changed it our team took a blow mentally. Our group did a good job communicating to one another to get what needed to be done done, but, one component of our project was put off until the last day. This created some tension in our group. If we had a choice to do this project again I don't think that I would decide to, I also think that my group members would side with me. But this project was a great learning experience because we learned that perseverance is key. Overall this was a solid learning experience.