Science Summative Assessment:

Air filter

Introduction:

Our experiment was interesting because it was about the air pollution that on this time we
have a problem on. The purpose of the investigation is to help the APIS community to have
better air quality by making the purified air.

​Background information:

Our APIS community has a problem with the smoky season that makes the air quality bad.
The effects of the bad air quality are damaging our respiratory cells and cause respiratory
diseases such as lung cancer, coughing, heart disease, ​Irritation of the eyes, nose and
throat, etc. To fix this problem we are going to have the air filter to fill the air to have a
better quality of air and your life. The air purifier that we will make would be able to filtrate
the PM 2.5 - Fine particulate matter - as well as PM 5.0 - 10 if possible. It will highly reduce
the risk of lung and heart diseases.

http://www.sparetheair.com/health.cfm

Research question:

“How does the filtering material affect the amount of the smoke/PM 2.5 in the classroom.”

Hypothesis:

The air purifier will affect the amount of the smoke/PM 2.5 in classroom by the air purifier
will fill the air that has a lot of dust or smoke that can be harmful to our health and it will
take out the high quality air that didn’t affect the human body. The filled air is not harmful to
humans because the air purifier takes out most of the mixture and takes out the pure air
that means when humans inhale that pure air they will didn't get a disease or heart disease.

Methodology:

1) Materials

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 ● Fan
● Air purifier filter
● Filter paper
● Tissue paper
● Container
● Incense

2) Variables:

Independent variable: Filtering materials.

Dependent variable: ​The amount of the smoke/PM 2.5.

Control variables:

1. The place of the experiment.

2. Amount of time of the experiment.
3. Amount of the smoke.
4. Type of the smoke - stuff to burn.
5. Size of the air purifier.

Table showing the variables and the method to control them.

VARIABLE UNITS TYPE HOW TO MANIPULATE

(UNCERTAINTIES)
Filtering Independent Choose the right materials to make
the air purifier.
materials. variable

The amount of Dependent variable Collect the data by using the

smoke tester to test the amount of
the smoke/PM
the smoke.
2.5.

The place of the Control variable The experiment will take place in
science classroom for all of the
experiment.
experiments.

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Amount of time of Minute Control variable Get a timer, or do it at the exact
same time.
the experiment.

Amount of the Control variable We will have the same time of

burning things in order to have a
smoke.
similar amount of smoke.
Type of the Control variable We will use the same type of
burning material to have the same
smoke.
type of smokel.
Size of the air Centimeter Control variable We will limit the size of the purifier
to match the room size.
purifier.

3) Diagram

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4) Procedure:

1. Put the air purifier in the science classroom.

2. Turn on the air purifier for 1 - 2 mins
3. Collect the amount of smoke from the air purifier.
4. Change the material from the Air purifier filter to be Filter paper, or Tissue paper
after the first experiment.

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 5. For the second experiment we will burn 2 papers to produce smoke.
6. Put burning papers into the container.
7. Cover the container with the air purifier.
8. Turn on the air purifier for 1 - 2 mins.
9. Collect the amount of smoke from the air purifier.
10. Change the material from the Air purifier filter to be Filter paper, or Tissue paper
after the first experiment.
11. Make a result of both datas.

5) Safety, Ethical and Environmental Considerations

● Be Careful when you burn a paper.

● Don’t break anything during the experiment.
● Wear a mask during the experiment.

Results:
Quantitative Data:

From the result of the experiment we measure with the positive pressure or we put the filter
materials on top of the fan and these are the result.

The numbers are based on the measure of PM 2.5

Tissue paper: 200

Filter paper: 164
Pm 2.5 filter: 150
Air Conditioner filter: 380 - 390
Fabric: 136 - 140

During the experiment we got the data of the experiment by the smoke tester that will show
the number of PM2.5, but our problem was the numbers that we got from negative pressure
that all of them are 999. This made use need to use only the positive pressure because
positive pressure is more accurate than negative pressure.

Filter materials Positive pressure Negative pressure

Tissue paper 200 999

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 Filter paper 164 999

Fabric 136 - 140 999

Air Conditioner filter 380 - 390 999

Pm 2.5 filter 150 999

Qualitative Data:

During the experiment we found some of the qualitative data that we can help use to
make a conclusion are the color of the filter materials that we choose. During the
experiment the filter materials will have a yellow color from the smoke added to the
materials. These materials are.

1. Tissue paper
2. Filter paper
3. Air conditioner filter

This may show that all of these filters in the list will work very hard to fill the smoke.

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 The second qualitative data that we found is the smell of the air after it gets filled.
The smell that I got during the experiment is the smell that still has burning and one that
didn't have any smell of smoke. The list are

1. Tissue paper: Have smoke smell

2. Filter paper: No smoke smell
3. Fabric: No smoke smell
4. Air conditioner filter: Have smoke smell
5. Pm 2.5 filter: No smoke smell

Conclusion:

Data analysis:

From the data that we got, When the smoke tester tests the air from each filter
material it will show how much PM2.5 has in each filter material. From the graph of the
result it also shows you how much of PM2.5 have in each filter materials by the lower
number is better than a higher number. Also the qualitative data can decide which filter
materials have a better filtration.

Conclusion:

From the experiment our conclusion is Filtering materials affect the ​amount of the
smoke/PM 2.5 in the classroom by each filter materials ​have different filtration levels on its
own. From the data, the number of PM2.5 in each filter materials of positive will show that
fabric has the best number of filtration because fabric has a lot of thick skin. The tester that
we used to test the number of PM2.5 is a trust able tester that means from the following
sentence the filter materials will affect the amount of the smoke by the filtration level of it
self.

Evaluation:

Problem/Weakness Effect on results/ data Possible solution/

improvement

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 1. We are not sure 1. From the 1. From the next time
if the incense problem this will we will organize the
was still on fire at change the time of the incense.
the time. That number of the 2. I will improve this by
might have smoke tester. charging the fan until
affected the 2. From the full before bringing it
result. problem it to the experiment.
2. The battery of causes us to
the fan is out of have a hard time
battery during to finish the
the experiment. experiment in
time.

Bibliography:

Air Quality Information for the Sacramento Region. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.sparetheair.com/health.cfm

TalhelmThomas, T., & University of Chicago Booth School of Business. (2019, March 19). Do Air Purifiers
Remove PM2.5? Retrieved from ​https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/do-air-purifiers-remove-pm2-5/