Lab Activity: Temperature Inversion

This activity will show the effects of temperature inversion on pollutants.
If you are a classroom teacher, you could use this lab as a demonstration.
See the video below for an additional demonstration of this lab!

Materials:
1 clear wide-mouthed jar with a lid
1 frozen ice pack (you could also use a sealed bag of ice)
2 sealed zipper bags filled with hot tap water (sandwich size bags)
Duct tape
1 sheet of black paper
1 drinking straw
Matches


Procedure:
1. Tape the black paper to the outside of the jar so that it covers about half of the jar.

2. Place the ice pack on the bottom of the jar and tape the bags of hot water to the mouth of the jar so that the bags hang inside the jar.


3. Cover the jar with the lid and allow the layers of hot and cold air to form inside the jar. This will take about two minutes.


4. Insert the straw into the jar, being careful to keep the lid closed as much as possible. Keep one end of the straw outside the jar.

5. Quickly light two matches, blow them out, and then drop them into the jar through the straw. Observe the smoke from the matches against the jar's black background.

In which part of the jar does the smoke collect or remain? Why do you think this is?
Please submit your answers to the "Comments" section.

Reference

Spaulding, N.E. & Namowitz, S.N. (2005). Earth science. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell.

Lab Demonstration Video: