The Effect of Melting Ice on the Density of Ocean Water

Hannah Miller

9/15/2013

Lab Report

The Effect of Melting Ice on the Density of Ocean water

Driving question: How does melting ice affect the density of ocean water?

The experiment will be done by placing differing amounts of ice into 60mL of salt water. After the ice melts, the salinity of the remaining solution will be taken.

Dependent Variable: The dependent variable, or the responding variable, is the salinity of the salt-water solution

Independent Variable: The independent variable, or the manipulated variable, is how much ice is put into each test.

Controlled Variables: In the experiment there will only be 60mL of salt-water solution in each test, the beakers will all be kept in the same temperature, and the same salinity measurer will be used for the entire time.

Hypothesis: If more ice cubes are added to the salt-water solution then the salinity will decrease because with increasing amounts of fresh water the salt water becomes less concentrated.

Fresh water has no salt in it therefore when it is added to salt water it will decrease the level of salinity and when the salinity is decreased, the density is decreased.

500mL

Procedure:

1. Retrieve five 500mL beakers.

2. Fill each beaker with 60mL of salt-water solution and set one aside as your control beaker.

60mL

Scale

3. Retrieve 10 ice cubes and measure their mass on a scale using grams. Then repeat using 20 ice cubes, then 30 ice cubes, and finally 40 ice cubes.

4. Add 10 ice cubes to beaker #1. Add 20 ice cubes to beaker #2. Add 30 ice cubes to beaker #3. Finally, add 40 ice cubes to beaker #4.

X 2 x 3 x 4

5. Let ice completely melt.

6. Retrieve the salinity probe. Test each beaker for the level of salinity, including the control beaker. Make sure to wash off the probe between each test.

Salinity Probe

Evidence:

| # of Ice Cubes | Mass of Ice Cubes (grams) | Salinity (micro semen) |...