Colorado Springs Water

75% of Colorado Springs comes from snow melt in the Rocky Mountains. Our water travels over 200 miles through an intricate system from the western front to the eastern front to our water plant. The snow melt is collected in Home steak Reservoir. Then it goes down to Turquoise Lake. Next, the water travels to Twin Lakes Reservoir. From there it goes through Clear Creek Reservoir to Rampart Reservoir and then on to the treatment center. After that it goes to our homes.

pixton comic

Diagram of Water Cycle

The Water Cycle

The Water Cycle

# What is the water cycle?- The water cycle is a process through which water moves through the environment driven by solar energy.

# Does the water cycle have a beginning or end?- No, the water cycle has no known beginning or end.

# Starting with a puddle on a sunny day, describe how water might move through the water cycle and eventually fall back as rain.- First the puddle would evaporate. Then a cloud would be created through condensation. After that precipitation in the form of rain would occur. Finally runoff would land the fallen water back into a puddle.

# Create a diagram (using Google docs or word) of the puddle to rain scenario you created for extra credit.

Presentation

Anitated Bib.

Annotated Bibliography

How do Solar Panels Work?http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/solar-electric/how-do-solar-panels-work/- This website explained how solar panels work. It said that solar panel are made up of a bunch of individual cells that all soak up solar power. Then the power from the cells combine to create a force of electricity. I plan to use this site to tell how solar panels work.

Solar Cost FAQ http://www.thesolarguide.com/solar-power-uses/cost-faq.aspx This site tells ho much solar panel systems cost. It said that a house system coasts about $20,000. It goes on to talk about other systems for powering different things. These systems are cheaper than the house systems. I plan to use this site while advising citizens to purchase solar panels for their homes.


Solar Homes-The Benefit of Solar Power at Home http://ezinearticles.com/?Solar-Homes---The-Benefits-of-Solar-Power-at-Home&id=251082- This site tells about the benefits of using solar power. It says that solar panels provide free energy at your homes. It also explains that solar panel are environmentally friendly. I plan to use this information while explaining how it would be if everyone took my advice.



Greenhouse Gases and Society http://www.umich.edu/~gs265/society/greenhouse.htm- This site tells about the Greenhouse Gas Effect. It lists the main greenhouse gases. It talks about how the temperature of the Earth is rising. I plan to use this site to explain what would continue happening if nobody takes my advice.

4 questions

HOW WILL SOLAR POWER REDUCE CARBON ADMISSIONS?-JOHN



What, specifically about your topic, are you going to research?--- I am going to research how solar power reduces green house gases.



What conclusions did you come to?
Converting to solar power directly reduces green house gases. Solar panels convert light from solar rays to electricity. The do this without admitting any carbon into the atmosphere. Solar power is a clean and effective way to power homes with out burning coal or natural gas.



What do you recommend average citizens do to make a difference? Be specific. This is the main part of your assignment.- I would recommend average citizens to look into installing solar panels to power their homes. Solar panels are getting cheaper and cheaper all of the time.



What would happen if, worst-case scenario, nobody listened to your recommendations?--- We would continue burning coal and natural gas for our energy sources. Carbon admissions would increase more and more.




What would happen if, best-case scenario, everybody listened to your recommendations?---If people listened, carbon admissions would dramatically decrease and we would have a free and green energy source.

The Penny Lab

http://image63.webshots.com/163/0/54/9/2222054090088425273fnuGSl_fs.jpg
The penny lab was an interesting activity with a surprising outcome. The procedures of this lab were, first to put a penny on a flat surface. Second take a water dropper filled with water an see how many drops of water could be put on the penny before it spilled over. I predicted 8- 10 drops of water. The results of trial 1 were 12 drops of water. Trial 2 resulted with 19 drops of water. Trial 3 proved the most with 20 drops of water. These results surprised me. My prediction was defiantly low. Surface tension is the reason that the water stayed on the penny. The polar nature of the water caused the water to stick together. The water beading up will be supported by surface tension until the force of gravity becomes to great. then the water spills of the penny. This experiment was really cool.