I'd like to discuss a certain water property that plays a role in our aquatic ecosystem: Specific Heat.
The definition of Specific Heat is the amount of heat per unit mass required to raise the temperature by 1 degrees Celsius. In order to demonstrate this, my friends and I filled up two balloons--one with air and one with water. We held each one over an open flame and found out that the balloon filled with air was the one that popped, while the one filled with water did not. This happened because the heat was distributed much slower inside of the balloon filled with water than the balloon filled with air, which is why it did not pop. In order to relate this to the aquatic ecosystem, we discussed how it affects the climate as well as the temperature of the water. Through specific heat, the water cools off and heats up slower than the land, which reflects the way the climate is around bodies of water and how that climate differs from a climate further inland.
Overall, the experiment taught us more about the ways specific heat affects the aquatic ecosystem without us even recognizing it!
Sea you later!
~Little Fish Leanne
No comments:
Post a Comment