Testing the concentration 2.

5 PM practical by using different materials to build the air filter 

considering the same size of the material of the air filter.  

Introduction: 

This  unit  we  are  going  to  build  an  air  filter,  for  our  target  user.  In  order  to  build  a 
successful  air  filter  and  a  functional  air  filter,  we  need  to  have  good  material  for  the  air 
filter.  Good  material  can  help  us  to build a better air filter,  because we are not professional 
at  building  the  air  filter,  so  if  we  can  find  good  materials,  it  will  be  easier  for  us  to  build  a 
successful  air  filter.  So  the  purpose  of  this  investigation  is  to  find  the  best  material  for  the 
air  filter.  The  important  reason  for  this  experiment  is  that  good  material  can  often  bring 
great  convenience  to  our  product.  First,  good  material  can  make  the  process  easier  and 
more  convenient.  For  all  of  us,  this  is  our first attempt at making an air filter. Without good 
material,  it  would  be  much  more  difficult  for  us  to make an air filter. Second, good material 
makes  it  easier  to  make  an  air  filter  successfully.  A  good  material  will  make  the  air  filter 
better  able  to  filter  the  air,  which  will  increase  the  success  rate  of  our  building  air  filter. 
Finally,  good  material  can  also  reduce  the  waste  of material. If we find material that works, 
we  don't  change  material  over  and  over  again,  we  can  make  a  successful work with a small 
amount of material. 

Background information: 

Smoky season:  

In  Chiang  Mai  and  some  parts  and  some  areas  of  Thailand,  there  is  a  smoky  season 
every  year.  The  vast  majority  of  the  smoky  season  takes  place  in  Thailand  and  parts  of 
China.  Southeast  Asia  will also be affected. Smoky season is also found in a small part of the 
world,  but  in  Thailand  it  is  a  serious  problem  because  farms  burn  the  farm,  between 
January  to  March  every  year.  They  create  lots  of  smoke  because  they  burn  the  farm,  and 
burning  the  farm  can  create  a  lot  of  smoke.  Therefore,  Thailand  has  a  smoky  season  every 
year.  

Agriculture  is  a  job  that  a  lot  of  people  in  Thailand  will  choose,  because  of  the 
geographical  advantages  of  Thailand,  this  place  is  suitable  for  the  development  of 
agriculture.  A  lot  of  the  land  in  Thailand  is  used  to  grow  crops,  every  year  after  the  crops 
they  grow  up.  They  collect  the  fruits  of  all  the  useful  crops,  but  this  also  leaves  some 
unwanted  parts  of  the  crops. The process of cleaning up the waste from these crops is more 
complicated,  so  farmers  have  less  time  to  deal  with  things  they  don't  need.  At  the  same 
time,  this  season  is  the  time  to  continue  planting  new  crops.  To  reduce  the  cost,  they  have 
to  burn  the  garbage.  They  burn  mountains  to  get  rid  of  unwanted  crops.  Farmers  burn  the 
farm,  between  January  to  March  every  year.  They  create  lots  of  smoke  because  they  burn 
1
the  farm,  and  burning  the  farm  can  create  a  lot  of  smoke.  Furthermore,  smoke  will  cause 
lots of problems.  

First  of  all,  this  problem  will  affect  our  environment.  Farmers  are burning the crops. 
Too  much  smoke  makes  the  smoky  season.  At  the same time, the smoky season produces a 
lot  of  smoke,  which  pollutes  our  atmospheric  environment  and  affects  our  living 
environment.  Therefore,  the  atmosphere  environment  will  change  due  to  smoke,  which  is 
why the atmosphere environment is getting worse and worse.  

Second,  it  affects  the  natural  environment.  Farmers  burn  crops  to  create  smoky 
seasons.  At  the  same  time,  the  smoky  season produces a large amount of smoke, which will 
affect  the  plants.  Smoke is black, a lot of smoke will affect the color of the plant, will change 
the  color  of  the  original  plant,  and  the  color  of  the  plant  dark.  Because  plants  are  covered 
by smoke for a long time, the state of plants will become lifeless due to the smoky season.  

Third,  burning  the  farm  creates  lots  of  smoke  because  burning the farm can create a 
lot  of  smoke.  Therefore,  the  atmosphere  environment  will  change  because  of  smoke. 
Furthermore,  the  atmosphere  environment  will  affect  human  health.  Humans  need  to 
breathe  every  second,  and  the  breathing  quality  depends  on  the  air  quality.  Now  the  air 
quality  is  bad,  so  our  breathing  quality  will  be  decreased,  and  it  will  affect  our  respiratory 
system. So it will cause a lot of diseases and health problems.  

Fourth.  It  will  affect  the  animal  body  and  health.  The  problem  is  for  animals  too. 
Animals  can also breathe, they have breathing systems too. The smoke of the smoky season 
can  affect  human  health  by  hurting  and  affecting  their  breathing  quality.  Then it will cause 
lots of diseases which are related to lung and breathing problems.  

Air  filter:  An  air  filter  is  a  device  used  to  remove  solid  particles  from  the  air.  It can be used 
to  filter  the  air  and  make  the  air  become  cleaner.  Air  filters  are  usually  made  of  fibrous 
material.  These solids that are filtered out typically include dust, pollen, bacteria, mold... Air 
filters  can  alter  air  quality  and  our  breathing  quality  by  filtering  the  air.  When  there  is  air 
pollution  in  our  living  environment,  the  air  filter  can  filter  the  air  and  help  us  improve  the 
air  quality  and  living  environment.  Air  filter  is  useful,  it  can  make  the  air  in  our  living 
environment  healthier.  This  is  one  of  the  ways  to  improve  air  quality.  Using  the  air filter in 
the smoky season, we can reduce the harm of the air filter to our bodies. 

Respiratory  system:  Respiratory  is  one  of  the  important  systems  in  our  body.  The  body's 
gas  exchange  depends  on  the  respiratory  system.  Respiratory  system  consists  of  lungs, 
nose,  pharynx,  larynx,  trachea  and  bronchus.  And  in  the  lungs  there  are  primary  bronchi, 
bronchioles,  alveoli.  The respiratory system is the system that we use to breathe and do gas 
exchange.  During  the  smoky  season  the  respiratory  system  will  get  affected  by the smoke. 
2
And  then  it  will  affect  our  body  health too.  Humans need to breathe every second by using 
the  respiratory  system  and  the  breathing  quality  depends  on  the  air  quality.  Now  the  air 
quality  is  bad,  so  our  breathing  quality  will  be  decreased,  and  it  will  affect  our  respiratory 
system. So it will cause a lot of diseases and health problems.   

2.5  PM  particles:  2.5  PM  particles  are  tiny  particles  or  droplets  in  the  air  that  are  two  and 
one  half  microns  or  less  in  width.  Size  range  of  particles  in  the  2.5  PM  are  able  to  travel 
deeply  into  the  respiratory  system,  reach  to  the  lungs.  2.5  PM  particles  can  cause 
short-term  health  effects  such  as  eye,  nose,  throat  and  lung,  coughing,  sneezing  and 
shortness  of  breath.  2.5  PM  particles  can  also  affect  lung  function  and  worsen  medical 
conditions  such  as  asthma  and  heart  disease.  So  2.5  PM  particles can cause lots of diseases 
and affect your health.  

Department  of  Health.  (2012,  December  5).  Retrieved  from 

https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/indoors/air/pmq_a.htm 

Respiratory system - Revision 2 - GCSE Biology (Single Science) - BBC Bitesize. (2020). 
Retrieved January 30, 2020, from 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z6h4jxs/revision/2 

Holidify. (2020, January 23). Burning Season In Chiang Mai - Everything You Need To 
Know. Retrieved from 
https://www.holidify.com/pages/chiang-mai-smoke-season-1222.html 

What to know about the smoke season in Northern Thailand. (2012, December 5). 
Retrieved February 14, 2020, from 
https://matadornetwork.com/read/smoke-season-northern-thailand/ 

Zimmermans, K. A. (2019, August 23). Respiratory System: Our Avenue for Gas Exchange. 
Retrieved from ​https://www.livescience.com/22616-respiratory-system.html 

Zander, R. (2019, October 4). A Survivor's Guide to Chiang Mai's Burning Season. Retrieved 
from ​https://iglu.net/survivor-guide-chiang-mai-smoky-season/ 

Research question: 

How  does  the  concentration  2.5  PM  practical  being  affected  the  most  by  using  different 
materials to build the air filter considering the same size of the material of the air filter?   
 

3
 

Hypothesis: 

The  concentration  2.5  PM  practical  being  affected the most by using the thick material and 

high  density  material  such as cotton or carbon filter wash. They can filter air better. But the 
cotton  will  be  the  best  choice  and  the  best  material  for  filtering  the  air  because  cotton  is 
denser  than  other  materials. Cotton only can let clean air pass through them, the impurities 
or  particles  will  be  trapped  on  the  other  side  of  the fabric, making it impossible for them to 
pass through. 
 
Methodology: 

1) Materials 

1 piece of Fabric 

1 piece of Filter paper 

1 piece of Cotton 

1 piece of AC Filter 

1 piece of Carbon Filter wash 

A Big test tube 

A small fan  

A sensor  

A beaker  

A small stand  

A high stand  

A Timer of stop watch  

2) Variables: 

Independent variable: Different type of material for air filter.  

We  will  pick  different  types  of  material  for  the  air  filter  to  see  which  material  can  filter 
more impurities and find the best material for building the air filter.  

4
Dependent Variables: concentration of 2.5 PM practical  

We  will  test  the  concentration  of  2.5  PM  practical  to  find  the  best  material  material  can 
filter more impurities and find the best material for building the air filter.  

Control Variables:  

- quantity of smoke   
- type of smoke  
- size of material  
- power of the fan  
- amount of material  
- layer of material  
- size of filter 
- time of testing filtering material   

Table showing the variables and the method to control them. 

VARIABLE  UNITS  TYPE  HOW TO MANIPULATE 

(UNCERTAINTIES) 
Different  types  N/A  Independent  We  will  pick  different  types  of 
of  material  for  material  for  the  air  filter  to  see 
variable 
air filter  which  material  can  filter  more 
impurities  and  find  the  best 
material for building the air filter.  

concentration  cube meter   Dependent  We  will  test  the  concentration  of 
of  2.5  PM  2.5  PM  practical  by  using  the 
Variables 
practical   sensor  to  find  the  best  material 
which  can  filter  more  impurities 
and  find  the  best  material  for 
building the air filter.  

 
quantity  of  cm 3
  Control  We will keep the same quantity of 
smoke   Variables  the smoke for each time of our 
experiment. We will use the same 
volume of a small test tube to 
measure the quantity of smoke, 
we also can use the same size of 
burning source to make sure the 
quantity of smoke is the same.   

5
type of smoke   type of smoke   Control  We will keep the same type of 
Variables  smoke for each time of our 
experiment. We will use the same 
size of burning source and the 
same type of burning material to 
make sure the types of smoke are 
the same.   
size of material   cm 2   Control  We will keep the same size of the 
Variables  material for each time of our 
experiment. We will use the same 
size of the filtering material. In 
order to make sure the size of the 
filtering material is the same, we 
will measure the size of the 
filtering material.   
power of the fan   level of the fan   Control  We will keep the same power of 
Variables  the fan for each time of our 
experiment. We will use the same 
fan and the same level power of 
the fan to make sure we keep the 
same power of fan during the 
experiment.  
amount  of  cm 3
  Control  We will keep the same amount of 
material   Variables  the material for each time of our 
experiment. We will use the same 
size of the filtering material. In 
order to make sure the amount of 
the filtering material is the same, 
we will measure the area and the 
volume of the filtering material.   
layer  of  layer of material   Control  We will keep the same layer of the 
material   Variables  material for each time of our 
experiment. We will use the same 
layer of the filtering material. In 
order to make sure the layer of the 
filtering material is the same, we 
will set the number for the layer 
and check it before we start to do 
the experiment.  

6
size of fan  cm 3
  Control  We will keep the same size of the 
Variables  fan for each time of our 
experiment. We will use the same 
fan to make sure we keep the 
same power of fan during the 
experiment.  
time  of  testing  seconds/mins  Control  We will keep the same time for 
filtering  Variables  each time of our experiment. We 
material    will use the stopwatch or timer to 
check and set the same time of the 
testing for each material. We will 
check the 2.5 PM practical after 
testing.   
 

3) Diagram 

7
  

There  are  3  parts  of  the  experiment installation. The first part is the smoke source. In order 

to  block  the  passway  of  smoke,  we  will  use  a  big  conical  flask  to put the smoke source. and 
also  we  will  keep  15cm  from smoke to the filter material, so that we can’t burn the material 
and  other  stuff.  The  second  part  is  the  filter  material  and  the  fan.  We  put  fan  and  material 
on  the  ring  clamp. The third part is the sensor which we use to test the 2.5 PM particles. We 
also put the sensor on the ring clamp.  
 

4) Procedure: 
1. Put a high stand first 
2. Then put a small stand/shelf under the big stand for the materials 
3. Then put the fabric on a small stand/shelf 
4. Put a small fan on the fabric 
5. Add the burning material to the beaker 
6. Place a beaker with a burning material that can make smoke under a small shelf 
7. Wait 2 minutes and wait for the smoke to come out 
8. Test particles with a concentration of 2.5 PM with a sensor 
9. Record the 2.5 PM particles tested in a notebook 
10. Remove the fan and fabric from the stand 

8
 11. Put  filter  paper/cotton/AC  filter/Carbon  Filter  wash  on  a  small  stand  (change  the 
material until finish testing all of material)   
12. Put  a  small  fan  on  filter  paper/cotton/AC  filter/Carbon  Filter  wash  after  put  new 
material on the small stand/shelf 
13. Add  new  burning  materials  in  beaker  to  ensure  their  quantity  is  consistent  after 
change new material  
14. Adjust the sensor's result to 0 after every experiment after change new material  
15. Wait 2 minutes and wait for the smoke to come out for each experiment  
16. Test particles with a concentration of 2.5 PM with a sensor for each experiment  
17. Record the 2.5 PM particles tested in a notebook for each experiment  
18. After  collect  the  result,  comparing  those  result  find  the  data  which  filter  the  most 
practical and find the best material which filter the most practical 

5) Safety, Ethical and Environmental Considerations  

1. be careful not to burn anything  

2. Don’t  place  flammable  items  next  to  the  experiment  because  if  you  put  flammable 
items near to the experiment, it might cause the burning issue.  
3. Don’t smell or have your face close to the burning material  
4. Don’t put the material/cloth near to the burning material  
5. Don’t put your eyes close to the burning material  
6. Don’t  use  your  hand  to  touch  the  burning  material  and  the  beaker  which  have  the 
burning material inside it 
7. For  environmental  considerations,  we  will  use  sockets  instead  of  batteries,  because 
if  every group uses batteries, the entire ninth grade will create a lot of battery waste, 
which  will  affect  our  environment  and  the  soil  will  absorb  toxic  substances  in  the 
batteries. 
 
References: 
EcoFriendlyLink.  (2017,  December  19).  Batteries  and  Their  Effects  on  the  Environment. 
Retrieved from ​http://www.ecofriendlylink.com/blog/batteries-and-the-environment/ 
 
Air  Conditioning  Filter.  (2011,  April  19).  Retrieved  from 
https://www.airconditioning-systems.com/air-conditioning-filter.html 

9
Department  of  Health.  (2012,  December  5).  Retrieved  from 
https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/indoors/air/pmq_a.htm 

Respiratory system - Revision 2 - GCSE Biology (Single Science) - BBC Bitesize. (2020). 
Retrieved January 30, 2020, from 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z6h4jxs/revision/2 

Holidify. (2020, January 23). Burning Season In Chiang Mai - Everything You Need To 
Know. Retrieved from 
https://www.holidify.com/pages/chiang-mai-smoke-season-1222.html 

What to know about the smoke season in Northern Thailand. (2012, December 5). 
Retrieved February 14, 2020, from 
https://matadornetwork.com/read/smoke-season-northern-thailand/ 

Zimmermans, K. A. (2019, August 23). Respiratory System: Our Avenue for Gas Exchange. 
Retrieved from ​https://www.livescience.com/22616-respiratory-system.html 

 
 
Results: 
Quantitative Data: 
1. Raw Material  

 
 
10
 Material   leftover Concentration of PM 2.5 
particle ( ug/m 3 ) 

Cotton  273 ug/m 3  

Filter paper   255 ug/m 3  

Fabric   472 ug/m 3  

Air Conditioner Filter    258 ug/m 3  

Carbon Filter Wash   195 ug/m 3  

Cotton and Carbon Filter Wash   176 ug/m 3  

No filter material   999 ug/m 3  

 

 
 
Material   Reduced Concentration of PM 2.5 
particle ( ug/m 3 ) 

Cotton  726 ug/m 3  

Filter paper   744 ug/m 3  

Fabric   527 ug/m 3  

11
 Air Conditioner Filter    741 ug/m 3  

Carbon Filter Wash   805 ug/m 3  

Cotton and Carbon Filter Wash   823 ug/m 3  

 
 

 
2. Processed Data  
(1)Cotton  

 
This is the picture of the PM 2.5 particles after using the first filter material which is 
cotton. the result of the PM 2.5 particles after using the first filter material which is 
cotton is 273 ug/m 3 .  
 
Material  Concentration of PM 2.5  Concentration of PM 2.5 
particle before using filter  particle after using filter 
material ( ug/m 3 )  material ( ug/m 3 ) 

Cotton  999 ug/m 3   273 ug/m 3  

12
  
This is the table and graph of the PM 2.5 particles after using the first filter material 
which is cotton and the PM 2.5 particles before using the first filter material which is 
cotton. The result of the PM 2.5 particles before using the cotton is 999 ug/m 3 . But 
after using the cotton, the PM 2.5 particles drop from 999 ug/m 3 to 273 ug/m 3 .  

 
Material   Reduced concentration of PM 2.5 
particles [ug/m 3 ](from the PM 2.5 of 
the smoke to the PM 2.5 of the cotton) 

Cotton   726 ug/m 3  

 
From the picture and the table, I calculate how much concentaction did the cotton 
was reduced from the original concentration of PM 2.5. So the concentration of PM 
2.5 particles before using the cotton is 999 ug/m 3 , but after using the material, it 
reduced from 999 ug/m 3 to 273 ug/m 3 . In other words, it means the cotton can 
reduce 726 ug/m 3 of concentration of PM 2.5.  
 
 
(2)Filter paper  

13
  
This is the picture of the PM 2.5 particles after using the second filter material which 
is filter paper. the result of the PM 2.5 particles after using the second filter material 
which is filter paper is 255 ug/m 3 .  
 
Material  Concentration of PM 2.5  Concentration of PM 2.5 
particle before using filter  particle after using filter 
material ( ug/m 3 )  material ( ug/m 3 ) 

Filter paper   999 ug/m 3   255 ug/m 3  

 
This is the table and graph of the PM 2.5 particles after using the second filter 
material which is filter paper and the PM 2.5 particles before using the second filter 
material which is filter paper. The result of the PM 2.5 particles before using filter 
paper is 999 ug/m 3 . But after using the filter paper as the filter material, the PM 2.5 
particles drop from 999 ug/m 3 to 255 ug/m 3 .  

 
Material   Reduced concentration of PM 2.5 
particles [ug/m 3 ](from the PM 2.5 of 

14
 the smoke to the PM 2.5 of the cotton) 

Filter paper   744 ug/m 3  

From the picture and the table, I calculate how much concentaction did the filter 
paper was reduced from the original concentration of PM 2.5. So the concentration 
of PM 2.5 particles before using the filter paper is 999 ug/m 3 , but after using the 
material, it reduced from 999 ug/m 3 to 255 ug/m 3 . In other words, it means the 
filter paper can reduce 744 ug/m 3 of concentration of PM 2.5.  
 
 
(3)Fabric  

 
This is the picture of the PM 2.5 particles after using the third filter material which is 
fabric. the result of the PM 2.5 particles after using the third filter material which is 
fabric is 472 ug/m 3 .  
 
Material  Concentration of PM 2.5  Concentration of PM 2.5 
particle before using filter  particle after using filter 
material ( ug/m 3 )  material ( ug/m 3 ) 

Fabric   999 ug/m 3   472 ug/m 3  

 

15
This is the table and graph of the PM 2.5 particles after using the third filter material 
which is fabric and the PM 2.5 particles before using the third filter material which is 
fabric. The result of the PM 2.5 particles before using fabric is 999 ug/m 3 . But after 
using the fabric as the filter material, the PM 2.5 particles drop from 999 ug/m 3 to 
255 ug/m 3 .  

 
Material   Reduced concentration of PM 2.5 
particles [ug/m 3 ](from the PM 2.5 of 
the smoke to the PM 2.5 of the cotton) 

Fabric  527 ug/m 3  

From the picture and the table, I calculate how much concentaction did the fabric 
was reduced from the original concentration of PM 2.5. So the concentration of PM 
2.5 particles before using the fabric is 999 ug/m 3 , but after using the material, it 
reduced from 999 ug/m 3 to 472 ug/m 3 . In other words, it means the fabric can 
reduce 527 ug/m 3 of concentration of PM 2.5.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
(4) Air conditioner filter  

 
This is the picture of the PM 2.5 particles after using the fourth filter material which 
is the air conditioner filter. the result of the PM 2.5 particles after using the fourth 
filter material which is the air conditioner filter is 258 ug/m 3 .  
Material  Concentration of PM 2.5  Concentration of PM 2.5 
particle before using filter  particle after using filter 
material ( ug/m 3 )  material ( ug/m 3 ) 

Air Conditioner Filter    999 ug/m 3   258 ug/m 3  

16
  
This is the table and graph of the PM 2.5 particles after using the fourth filter 
material which is air conditioner filter and the PM 2.5 particles before using the 
fourth filter material which is air conditioner filter. The result of the PM 2.5 particles 
before using air conditioner filter is 999 ug/m 3 . But after using the air conditioner 
filter as the filter material, the PM 2.5 particles drop from 999 ug/m 3 to 258 ug/m
3
.  
 

 
Material   Reduced concentration of PM 2.5 
particles [ug/m 3 ](from the PM 2.5 of 
the smoke to the PM 2.5 of the cotton) 

Air Conditioner Filter   741 ug/m 3  

From the picture and the table, I calculate how much concentaction did the air 
conditioner filter was reduced from the original concentration of PM 2.5. So the 
concentration of PM 2.5 particles before using the air conditioner filter is 999 ug/m
3
, but after using the material, it reduced from 999 ug/m 3 to 258 ug/m 3 . In other 
words, it means the air conditioner filter can reduce 741 ug/m 3 of concentration of 
PM 2.5.  
 
 
 
(5)Carbon filter wash  
17
 

 
This is the picture of the PM 2.5 particles after using the fifth filter material which is 
the carbon filter wash. the result of the PM 2.5 particles after using the fifth filter 
material which is the carbon filter wash is 195 ug/m 3 .  
 
Material  Concentration of PM 2.5  Concentration of PM 2.5 
particle before using filter  particle after using filter 
material ( ug/m 3 )  material ( ug/m 3 ) 

Carbon Filter Wash  999 ug/m 3   194 ug/m 3  

 

 
This is the table and graph of the PM 2.5 particles after using the fifth filter material 
which is carbon filter wash and the PM 2.5 particles before using the fifth filter 
material which is carbon filter wash. The result of the PM 2.5 particles before using 
air conditioner filter is 999 ug/m 3 . But after using the carbon filter wash as the 
filter material, the PM 2.5 particles drop from 999 ug/m 3 to 194 ug/m 3 .  

18
 Material   Reduced concentration of PM 2.5 
particles [ug/m 3 ](from the PM 2.5 of 
the smoke to the PM 2.5 of the cotton) 

Carbon Filter Wash   805 ug/m 3  

From the picture and the table, I calculate how much concentaction did the carbon 
filter wash was reduced from the original concentration of PM 2.5. So the 
concentration of PM 2.5 particles before using the carbon filter wash is 999 ug/m 3 , 
but after using the material, it reduced from 999 ug/m 3 to 194 ug/m 3 . In other 
words, it means the carbon filter wash can reduce 805 ug/m 3 of concentration of 
PM 2.5.  
 
(6)Carbon filter wash combined with cotton 

 
This is the picture of the PM 2.5 particles after using the sixth filter material which is 
the carbon filter wash combined with cotton. the result of the PM 2.5 particles after 
using the sixth filter material which is the carbon filter wash combined with cotton is 
176 ug/m 3 .  
 
Material  Concentration of PM 2.5  Concentration of PM 2.5 
particle before using filter  particle after using filter 
material ( ug/m 3 )  material ( ug/m 3 ) 

Cotton and Carbon Filter  999 ug/m 3   176 ug/m 3  

Wash  

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This is the table and graph of the PM 2.5 particles after using the sixth filter material 
which is carbon filter wash combined with cotton and the PM 2.5 particles before 
using the sixth filter material which is carbon filter wash combined with cotton. The 
result of the PM 2.5 particles before using air conditioner filter is 999 ug/m 3 . But 
after using the carbon filter wash combined with cotton filter as the filter material, 
the PM 2.5 particles drop from 999 ug/m 3 to 176 ug/m 3 .  
 

 
Material   Reduced concentration of PM 2.5 
particles [ug/m 3 ](from the PM 2.5 of 
the smoke to the PM 2.5 of the cotton) 

Carbon Filter Wash combined with  823 ug/m 3  

Cotton  
From the picture and the table, I calculate how much concentaction did the carbon 
filter wash combined with cotton reduced from the original concentration of PM 2.5. 
So the concentration of PM 2.5 particles before using the carbon filter wash 
combined with cotton is 999 ug/m 3 , but after using the material, it reduced from 
999 ug/m 3 to 176 ug/m 3 . In other words, it means the carbon filter wash 
combined with cotton can reduce 823 ug/m 3 of concentration of PM 2.5.  
 
 

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Qualitative Data: 

 
These  two  pictures  are  showing  the  color  changing  of  the  filter  material.  In  the  course  of 
our  experiments,  I  observed  that  some  marks  of  the  smoke  would  remain  on  the  material, 
and  the  color  in  the  middle  of  the  material  would  turn  yellow  or  black.  In  the  process  of 
filtering  smoke,  a  part of the smoke is blocked by the filter material, and the blocked smoke 
is  the  filtered  smoke.  We  can  see  some  yellow  or  black marks on some filter materials with 
strong adsorption. 
 

 
This  picture  shows  the  color  changing  of  the  beaker.  In  the  course  of  our  experiments,  I 
observed  that  some  marks  of  the  smoke  would  remain  on  the  beaker,  and  the  color  at  the 
top  of  the  beaker  mouth  would  turn  black.  In  the  process  of  filtering  smoke,  a  part  of  the 

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smoke  is  blocked  by  the  filter  material,  and  the  blocked  smoke  is  the  filtered  smoke.  So  it 
will  drop  on  the beaker. And also some smoke can’t defuse through the fan, so it will remain 
on the beaker. That’s why we can see some black marks and dust on the beaker.  

 
This  picture  shows  the  color  changing  of  the  beaker.  In  the  course  of  our  experiments,  I 
observed  that  the  amount  and  the  concentration  of  the  smoke  will  be  reduced  after  using 
filter  material  to  filter  the  smoke.  The  process  of  filtering  smoke,  a  part  of  the  smoke  is 
blocked  by  the  filter  material,  and  the  blocked  smoke  is  the  filtered  smoke.  Some  amount 
and  concentration  of  smoke  will  be  blocked,  so  the  smoke  we  saw  after  using  the  filter 
material to filter the smoke will be less than the original smoke. 
 

Conclusion: 

Data analysis: 
leftover concentration of PM 2.5： 
First,  we  have  two  sets  of  data.  The  first  set of data is the leftover  concentration of PM 2.5 
after  filter  material  to  filter  the  smoke.  The  data  result  we  got  is  the  concentration  of  PM 
2.5  particles  of  Fabric  is  472 ug/m 3 ;  the concentration of PM 2.5 particles of cotton is 273 
ug/m 3 ;  the  concentration  of  PM  2.5  particles  of  air  conditioner  filter  is  258  ug/m 3 ;  the 
concentration  of  PM 2.5 particles of filter paper is 255 ug/m 3 ; the concentration of PM 2.5 
particles  of  carbon  filter  wash  is  195  ug/m 3   and  the  concentration  of  PM  2.5  particles  of 
carbon  filter  wash  combined  with  cotton  is  176  ug/m 3 .  By  comparing  the  remaining 
concentration  of  PM  2.5,  we  get  the  result  that  Fabric>  Cotton>  Air  conditioner  filter> 
Filter  paper>  Carbon  filter  wash>  Cotton  combined  with  Carbon  Filter  Wash.  In  other 
words,  the  highest  concentration of PM 2.5 particles is fabric, and the lowest concentration 

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of  PM  2.5  particles  is  carbon  filter  wash  with  cotton,  it  means  carbon  filter  wash  with 
cotton has the best result, and carbon filter wash has the second best results.  
 
reduced concentration of PM 2.5： 
The  second  set  of  data is after filter material to filter the smoke The reduced concentration 
of  PM  2.5.  The  first  set  of  data  is  the  reduced  concentration  of  PM  2.5  after  filter  material 
to  filter  the  smoke.  The  data result we got is the concentration of PM 2.5 particles of Fabric 
is  527  ug/m 3 ;  the  concentration  of  PM  2.5  particles  of  cotton  is  726  ug/m 3 ;  the 
concentration  of  PM  2.5  particles  of  air  conditioner  filter  is 741 ug/m 3 ; the concentration 
of  PM  2.5  particles  of  filter  paper  is  744  ug/m 3 ;  the  concentration  of  PM  2.5  particles  of 
carbon  filter  wash  is  805  ug/m 3   and  the  concentration  of  PM  2.5 particles of carbon filter 
wash  combined  with  cotton  is  823  ug/m 3 .  By comparing the reduced concentration of PM 
2.5,  we  get  the  result  that  Fabric<  Cotton<  Air  conditioner  filter<  Filter  paper<  Carbon 
filter  wash<  Cotton  combined  with  Carbon  Filter  Wash.  In  other  words,  the  smallest 
amount  of  reduced  concentration  of  PM  2.5  particles  is  fabric,  and  the  largest  amount  of 
reduced  concentration  of  PM  2.5  particles  is  carbon  filter  wash  with  cotton,  it  means 
carbon  filter  wash  with  cotton  has  the  best  result,  and  carbon  filter  wash  has  the  second 
best results.  
 
 
Conclusion​: 
The  Hypothesis  is  half  right  half  wrong.  In  my  hypothesis  I  said  that  the  concentration  2.5 
PM  practical  being  affected  the  most  by  using  the  thick  material  and  high density material 
such  as  cotton  or  carbon  filter  wash.  From  our  experiment,  the  higher  the  density,  the 
thicker  the  Thick  filtering  material  can  filter  more  smoke, because they can filter air better 
and  filter  more  particles.  But  the  cotton  is  not  the  best  choice,  because  Cotton  has  quite  a 
large  gap,  so  the  smoke  will  go  through  the  gaps.  So  the  leftover  concentration  of  PM  2.5 
particles  of  cotton  is  not  the  lowest.  In  my  hypothesis  I  said  the  cotton  will  be  the  best 
choice  and  the  best  material  for  filtering  the  air  because  cotton  is  denser  than  other 
materials. Cotton only can let clean air pass through them, the impurities or particles will be 
trapped  on  the  other  side  of  the  fabric,  making  it  impossible  for  them  to  pass  through.  But 
after  we  did  the  experiment,  this  hypothesis  is  not  right.  The  conclusion  is  carbon  will  be 
the  best  choice  and  the  best  material  for  filtering  the  air  while  we  only  use  one  type  of 
material  because  carbon  filter  wash  is  denser  than  other  materials  and  it  is  thick,  there  is 
less  gaps  and  holes  than  other  materials.  Carbon  filter  wsh  can  let  more  clean  air  pass 
through  them,  the  impurities  or  particles  will  be  trapped  on  the  other  side  of  the  fabric, 
making  it  impossible  for  them  to  pass  through.  But  the  best  solution  is  we  can  combine 
these  two  materials  which  are  cotton  and  carbon  filter  wash.  When  we  combine  two  of 
them,  it  will  have  the  lowest  leftover  concentration  of  PM  2.5  particles.  because  the  two 

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layers  of  material  will  be  thicker  which  means it will filter the air better. And if we combine 
the  two  different  materials,  each material will filter some smoke and the air, so the leftover 
concentration  of  PM  2.5  particles  after  combining  two  materials will be the lowest, and it's 
the best material. 
 
 
Evaluation: 
Problem/Weakne Effect on results/ data  Possible  solution/ 
ss  improvement 

We  didn’t  control  Because  when  we  put  the  When  we  put  the materials 
how  long  the  materials  on  the  fan,  we  didn’t  on  the  fan,  we  can  let  the 
materials  are  measure  the  time  between  material  stay  on  the  smoke 
placed  on  the  putting  materials.  This  will  for  30  seconds  each  time. 
smoke   make  the  change  of  color  of  This  will  make  the  color 
  each  material  not  the  same  change  noticeable  and 
  level.  Because  some  more  accurate.  A  30 
  materials  stay  too  long  on  the  second  period  allows  the 
  smoke,  the  color  of  the  material  to  change  color. 
  material  after  testing  will  and  it  will  have  more  time 
  become  black  and  dark.  But  for  smoke  to  get  through 
  some  materials  stay  only  a  the materials.  
  while  on  the  smoke,  the  color   
  will not be changed.    
     
    We  can  do  the  experiment 
  We  did  not  control  the  in  a  opening  area,  then  the 
We  need  to  concentration  of  PM  2.5  smoke  will  spread  out  very 
control  the  particles  in  the  classroom  fast,  so  we  can  control  the 
concentration  of  during  the  experiment.  This  the  concentration  of  PM 
PM  2.5  particles in  will  affect  our  result,  because  2.5  particles  in  the  area. Or 
the  classroom  at  the  beginning  of  the  we  can  separate  groups 
during  the  experiment,  the concentration  into  different  big  rooms, 
experiment.   of  PM  2.5  particles  in  the  and  after  testing  one 
  classroom  is  low  and  the  air  material wait for 3 minus to 
  quality  is  good.  But  after  let the concentration of PM 
  everyone  started  to  do  the  2.5  particles  in  the 
  experiment,  we  created lots of  classroom  drop.  This  will 
  smoke  for  the  classroom,  so  help  and  improve  the 

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   the  concentration  of  PM  2.5  concentration  of  PM  2.5 
  particles  in  the  classroom  was  particles in the classroom.  
  growing  higher  and  higher.  So   
  this  will  affect  the  last  few   
  materials  which  we  test,  it will   
  make  the  leftover  the   
  concentration  of  PM  2.5   
  particles  higher  than  the   
  original.    
     
The  length  of  We  did  not  control  the  length  We  can  move  the  incense 
incense  of  incense  during  the  higher  and  higher  during 
  experiment.  This  will  affect  the  experiment.  Changing 
  our  result,  because  at  the  incense  will  waste  lots  of 
  beginning  of  the  experiment,  material,  so  the  we  can 
  the  length  of  incense  is  long,  change  the  distance 
  so  the  distance  between  will  between  the  incense  and 
  be  close  and  short.  But  since  the  material  to  control  this 
  incense  started  to  burn  during  variable. 
  the  experiment,  the  length  of   
  incense  will  become  shorter   
  and  shorter,  so  the  distance   
  between  the  material  and   
  incense  will  be  far and long. So   
  this  will  affect  the  last  few   
  materials  which  we  test,  it will   
  make  the  leftover  the   
  concentration  of  PM  2.5   
  particles  lower  than  the   
  original.    
     
Time of measure   We  only  measure  the  data    
once  which  might  have  some 
error for the result.  
  
Bibliography: 

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Bangkok  Post  Public  Company  Limited.  (n.d.).  Incense  burning  falls  under  air  pollution 
spotlight.  Retrieved  from 
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/1848869/incense-burning-falls-u
nder-air-pollution-spotlight 

Human  error.  (2020,  January  26).  Retrieved  from 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_error 

D.,  B.  (2020,  February  1).  What Is Activated Carbon Filter? How Does Activated Carbon Air 

Filter Work? Retrieved from ​https://breathequality.com/activated-carbon-filter/ 

Density. (n.d.). Retrieved from ​https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/density.htm 

Department  of  Health.  (2012,  December  5).  Retrieved  from 

https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/indoors/air/pmq_a.htm 

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