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Educational field courses for educators & students in
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©Holbrook Travel, Inc. 2007 IMPORTANT LEGAL NOTICE:
Holbrook Travel believes all information to be accurate at the time of
publication. However, we reserve the right to make corrections. |
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Go With the Flow
 Purpose:
In this experiment, we will use the Temperature Sensor to measure the temperature of water in the Sarapiqui River.
We’ll investigate how temperatures vary in a large body of water and then observe and record the temperature of
water in a river:
- at different depths relative to the surface,
- at various positions relative to the shore, and
- in various parts of the river that have different widths.
Background Information:
Not all molecules in a liquid have a constant temperature, since temperature is a measure of the average kinetic
energy of the molecules in a substance. Water that collects in a pond does not have uniform temperature: the water
at the bottom of a pond, for example, will probably be colder than the water at the top. The flow of water will
also affect temperature, since water will be redistributed from one area of a stream/river to another. This may
raise or lower the average temperature. Any change in the total amount of heat energy can dramatically change the
temperature of water in an area, potentially causing damage to aquatic life.
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Equipment:
PASPORT Temperature Sensor
PASPORT Xplorer Datalogger
3-foot long stick or pole
Rubber bands (2)
Marker pen
Equipment Set-Up:
- Power on the Xplorer Datalogger.
- Connect the Temperature Sensor to the Xplorer Datalogger.
- Use the rubber bands to fasten the Temperature Sensor to one end of the stick or pole.
- Use a marker pen to place reference marks at equal intervals along the stick/pole.
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Data Collection Procedure:
1. We’ll record data in 3 different categories.
a) At three different depths at one location
b) At a constant depth, but at three different positions relative to the shore or bank
c) At a narrow section of river, then at a wider section of the river
2. Lower the pole to the appropriate depth in the river. (Be careful to not submerge or get the Xplorer Datalogger wet).
3. Wait approximately 30 seconds, then press (
 ) to begin collecting data. View the results on the Xplorer Datalogger.
4. Press (
) again to stop collecting data
5. Repeat steps 2-4 for the other depths and locations.
Data Analysis:
1. Connect the Xplorer Datalogger to the computer's USB port using the USB cable.
2. DataStudio automatically opens. Download the data from Xplorer to the computer.
3. Click the Retrieve Now (
 ) button.
4. Examine each run of data in the Graph display to determine the relationship between temperature and depth, location to shore, and width of the river.
5. Enter annotations noting the various locations and depths you took data.
a) Click the Annotate button (
 ), and enter your text.
6. Record the results in the Data Table below.
Data Table:
| Trial# |
Description |
Results
Temperature |
| 1. |
Depth #1 |
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| 2. |
Depth #2 |
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| 3. |
Depth #3 |
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| 4. |
Location #1 relative to shore |
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| 5. |
Location #2 relative to shore |
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| 6. |
Location #3 relative to shore |
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| 7. |
Narrow section of stream or river |
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| 8. |
wider section of stream or river |
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Conclusions and Extensions:
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- Explain the relationship of temperature in flowing water-to-water depth.
- Was there any correlation between water temperature and position relative to the river’s shore?
- When water was sampled from wider parts of the river compared to areas where there was a narrow crossing, what
temperature trends were observed?
- How would your results possibly vary in a slower moving or faster moving river?
- What effects might temperature variation have on aquatic organisms that frequent this river?
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| This experiment is brought to you courtesy of
PASCO. |
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