A Study On
Fire And
Global
Warming
By Nicole Curran,Doireann Lynam and Alesi Horan
Introduction
Our project is a study on fire and global warming. Nicole
Curran, Doireann Lynam and Alesi Horan from Colaiste
Lorcain, Castledermot, Co. Kildare did this project.
Our Aims
When starting our project we aimed to examine how a
fire extinguisher works, also to burn the humus in soil
and to measure the carbon dioxide that comes off the soil
when the humus is burnt, we also aimed to see how much
carbon dioxide would be used in a room when you burnt
different types of candles. We also aimed to compare the
amount of carbon dioxide that comes off turf and coal
while turning into acid. We will also show that burnt soil
will not release carbon dioxide into the air.
Homemade
Fire
Extinguisher
Chemicals and Apparatus Used:
-An empty plastic jar
-An empty film canister
-Baking soda
-Vinegar
-Scissors
-A bendy plastic sipping straw
-Tape
Method
1. Make sure jar and film canister are clean and dry.
2. Fill up film canister with baking soda put lid on top
but do not click shut.
3. Gently place canister into jar.
4. Poor vinegar in the bottom of the jar.
5. Put the plastic jar aside
6. Take the lid from the plastic jar and carefully punch
a hole with the scissors in the centre of the lid.
7. Then, slip the straw through the hole in lid. Make
sure the bottom of the straw will extend about 2 to 3
inches into the jar, and not go past the lid of the film
canister.
8. Next, carefully tape the straw into place. Be careful
to make it air tight and leak-proof.
9. Put the lid on the jar tightly, and tape around the
edges to make sure it is airtight as well.
Simply shake the plastic jar, and point the straw to
“extinguish” the fire. (Watch where you point it…it can
be quite messy. If you are able to do this experiment
outside, it is even better. The residue can easily be
washed off with a garden hose or bucket of warm water)
Now for the science part: the elements of fire are oxygen,
fuel, and heat. If you take away one of these aspects,
there is no way a fire can last. The vinegar and baking
soda produce a chemical reaction in which the foam
eliminates oxygen. If this reactive substance is directed
at a flame, it helps eliminate the oxygen, thus aiding in
extinguishing the fire.
Please note, however, that this should not be used in
place of a real fire extinguisher and that you should be
aware of the proper fire safety equipment. The amount of
carbon dioxide and water produced in this reaction is not
sufficient to completely extinguish a fire.
To Find The
Percentage
Humus In Soil
What Is Humus?
Humus is decayed organic matter example bits of
leaves bits of roots in the soil. The humus is the glue
that holds the soil particles together.
Materials And Apparatus Used:
Evaporating Dish, Oven, Soil, Bunsen burner, Carbon
Dioxide Measurer, Tripod, LabQuest, carbon dioxide
sensor
Method:
1. Measure an empty evaporating dish. Write
down your result.
2. Collect soil in evaporating dish. Measure the
weight of the dish. Again write down your result.
3. Leave in oven over night to dry.
4. Measure the weight of the dry soil. Write
down your result.
5. Put your evaporating dish on a tripod and over
it place a carbon dioxide measurer. Take your
results as you burn the soil on a lab quest for
thirty minutes.
Results:

Mass of empty crucible dish = 112.5g

Mass of crucible dish and wet soil =
279.3g

Mass of wet soil=166.8g

A crucible dish and dry soil = 249.2g

Mass of dry soil =136.7g

Loss in mass =30.1g

Percentage Water = 18%
Mass Of Crucible and burnt soil = 240.2g
Mass Of Burnt Soil=127.7g
Loss In Mass On Burning=9.0g
Percentage humus=Loss in Mass /Original
Mass x 100
9.0/166.8x100=5.3%
When we burn the humus in the soil using a
carbon dioxide sensor we recorded a rise in the
levels of carbon dioxide. So we conclude that
during a forest fire the burning humus in the
soil releases carbon dioxide into the air, which
would contribute to global warming.
Experiment To
Compare The
Burning Of Coal
And Turf On The
Environment.
Materials and Apparatus Used:
Saucepan, Container with two holes in it, tripod, plastic
tubing, two Bunsen burners, water, coal, turf, carbon
dioxide sensor, ph sensor, Lab quest, boxes to keep
saucepan and container level, retort stand and some
cotton wool.
Method:
1. Put some water in the bottom of your container
just below the two holes.
2. Measure 10 grams of each coal and turf and keep
them in separate containers.
3. Put your saucepan on a tripod and your container
on some boxes to keep them level.
4. Put your carbon dioxide sensor in one hole of
your container and in the other a ph sensor.
5. You need to attach your plastic tubing from the
container into an airtight saucepan and then where
your ph sensor is in the hole your plastic tubing
should be in that hole as well so make that air tight
with cotton wool.
6. You need now to burn your coal while using lab
quest to record your results then after to the same
with turf.
Results
The coal was hard to burn, which meant that it takes
a long time to burn so it would be very harmful to
the environment and the ozone layer.
The turf wasn’t as hard to burn but let off a lot of
steam causing a lot of harm to the environment.
To Compare How
Much Oxygen Is
Used In a Room
When Candles are
burnt.
Materials and Apparatus Used:
4 different types of candles, carbon dioxide sensor,
oxygen sensor, and two retort stands.
Method:
Burn all four candles while recording your results on a
lab quest.
Results
The graphs show that oxygen is used up in a room when
candles are burnt and carbon dioxide is released.
To Compare The
Levels Of Carbon
Dioxide In Burnt
Soil and Garden Soil
Materials and Apparatus Used:
Two carbon dioxide sensors, two bottles, burnt soil,
garden soil and cotton wool.
Method
1. Put your burnt soil and garden soil in the two
bottles.
2. Put your carbon dioxide sensors in them and
make them airtight.
3. Set up your lab quest.
Results
We have learnt the burnt soil produces no carbon
dioxide because there are no bacteria in it.
Summary
This project on burning collected data on the
following everyday examples where burning takes
place.
We learned in science that burning produces carbon
dioxide gas and uses oxygen.
Our first experiment we made a fire extinguisher.
In our second experiment we found the percentage
humus in soil we release carbon dioxide into the air.
This is one side effect when forests burn. The
released carbon dioxide can contribute to global
warming.
When we burn coal and turf we measured the ph of
the water when the fumes dissolved in the water.
The ph sensor and the carbon dioxide sensor were
used. The ph was more acidic with coal. Burning
coal can help form acid rain.
When we burn candles in the room the oxygen
levels dropped and the carbon dioxide increased.
We also showed with the carbon dioxide sensor that
when you burn soil you kill the bacteria that make
the humus and the level of carbon dioxide
decreases.