How global warming affects sea levels Research Paper

How global warming affects sea levels - Research Paper Example Essentially, the greenhouse effect functions in the following manner. When sunlight pierces the atmosphere and hits the earth’s surface, not all of the sun’s solar energy is absorbed. Approximately a third of it is reflected back into space. Specific atmospheric gases serve in much the same way as does the glass of a greenhouse, thus the terminology. These gases allow sunlight to penetrate then trap some of the solar energy which heats the earth (Breuer, 1980). It is a delicate balance and because these greenhouse gases have been artificially augmented by man-made sources, more build up in the atmosphere has occurred thus trapping more of the sun’s energy and reflecting less back in to space. This occurrence is causing the earth to warm. The rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere are becoming increasingly disconcerting. â€Å"The concentrations of CO2 in the air around 1860 before the effects of industrialization were felt, is assumed to have been about 290 parts per million (ppm). In the hundred years and more since then, the concentration has increased by about 10 percent.† (Breuer, 1980, p. 67). Eighty percent of the world’s population accounts for just 35 percent of CO2 emissions while the United States and Soviet Union combined are responsible for generating half. Worldwide, â€Å"carbon dioxide emissions are increasing by four percent a year.† (Miller, 1990, p. 450). Motor vehicles are a major cause of air pollution as is fuel burned for the heating of homes and powering industry along with the toxins emitted from stacks at coal-burning power plants. â€Å"Vehicles produce high levels of carbon monoxides (CO) and a major source of hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NO x), whereas, fuel combustion in stationary sources is the dominant source of sulfur dioxide (SO2)† (Breuer, 1980, p. 70). If the balance between the CO2 levels in the ocean and atmosphere is disturbed by interjecting increasing

Should we mine this Ore Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Should we mine this Ore - Essay Example The amount of light that passed through the solutions to the photocells is used to determine the absorbance of each solution (Reynolds & Thompson 26). The equation of the standard curve is given by y =mx + b. Plotting a graph of absorbance against concentration for the standard solutions produces a curve that has a direct relationship with the equation of the standard curve (Bartlett 159). The direct relationship between concentration and absorbance for a solution is referred to as Beer’s law. Concentration of unknown compound can be determined from the graph by measuring its absorbance. Its absorbance is located on the x-axis of the graph, and its corresponding concentration is determined on the y-axis. Concentration of the unknown solutions can also be established from the slope of the Beer’s law curve (Bartlett 159). A blank solution was then prepared by filling the cuvette with distilled water to a volume of  ¾ full. Care was taken not to contaminate the cuvette while filling it. Spectrometer was then calibrated by placing a blank cuvette into the cuvette grove of the spectrometer (Reynolds & Thompson 160). In order to determine optimal wavelength for plotting this standard curve, 0.4 M standard solution was placed in the cuvette slot. The cuvette was then rinsed twice with 1 mL solution in Test Tube 1, and then refilled to  ¾ of its volume. The outside was wiped with a tissue paper and placed into the cuvette, and absorbance of the solution was measured (Bartlett 159). This process was repeated for solution 2-5 until their absorbances were obtained. The absorbance of each solution was recorded in the data table. The data recorded was used to draw a graph of absorbance Vs concentration. The concentration of Copper (II) sulfate was obtained from the graph by determining its corresponding rea ding on the y-axis. Among all the acids