Energy Sciences

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 19.04.01

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Introduction
  2. Rationale
  3. Content Objectives
  4. Teaching Strategies: (Aligned to the Content Objectives)
  5. Content Background
  6. Unit Activities
  7. Appendix: Standards Narrative
  8. Teacher Resources
  9. Student Resources
  10. Bibliography
  11. Endnotes

Driving in the Future: How Far Will that Battery Take You?

Cristobal Rene Carambo

Published September 2019

Tools for this Unit:

Teacher Resources

Keeling Curve Graph Data available at:

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=keeling+curve+&title=Special%3ASearch&go=Go&ns0=1&ns6=1&ns12=1&ns14=1&ns100=1&ns106=1#/media/File:Mauna_Loa_Carbon_Dioxide.png

Climate Change and Greenhouse Gas Videos

Lines of Evidence Chapter Two: How do we know the earth is warming?  Located at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IuVzcp39rs

Lines of Evidence Chapter Three: How do we know greenhouse gases contribute to global warming? Located at:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JX-ioSmNW8

Renewable – Non-Renewable Resource Research:  (The questions may be changed to suit your students) 

Describe the following for your assigned energy resource.

  1. Is it renewable or non-renewable?
  2. Is this resource always available?
  3. What are its major uses? Its benefits.
  4. Can we use it directly or must we transform it in some manner before we use it?
  5. Where does it come from? How is it formed?
  6. How do we access this resource? Do we harm the environment when we get it?
  7. Do we harm the environment when we use it? These are the environmental consequences
  8. Do you (or your family) already use this resource?
  9. Is this resource free? Or do we have to pay for it?
  10. How was this resource formed? Has it always been here? Will it be here forever?

Single Displacement Laboratory Materials

These are suggested single displacement reactions; you may use any set of materials that will spontaneously react.

Strips of the following metals: Mg, Pb, Cu .Zn, Al, and Fe

Solutions (0.25 M):  Mg(NO3)2, Pb(NO3)2, Cu(NO3)2, Zn(NO3)2, Fe(NO3)3, AgNO3, Al(NO3)3

Test tube racks with two test tubes.

Procedure

Each group will conduct one reaction: Students should refer to the activity series to determine which reactions will proceed and which will not. Each group should select reactants that will produce a reaction.  Students should observe and note all changes during the reaction.

Lemon Battery: Materials

Two lemons per group, sufficient alligator clips to connect the lemons in series to each other and to a small diode, small pieces of copper foil (or pennies minted before 1982) and large paper clips (or galvanized nails).

Procedure

Roll lemons so the they are soft to the touch, then make slits in one lemon, insert the electrodes and measure the volts. Attach the diode to the electrodes (if it does not light then reverse the connection).  If diode still fails to light, then attach the second lemon in series: then recheck the voltage with the multimeter (it should be double the volts) then reattach the diode (it should light). 

Ni-Cd  Reactions

Oxidation at the anode:  Cd (s)  +  2OH-  -> Cd(OH)2 (aq)  + 2e-   (8)

Reduction at the cathode: 1e-  +  Ni(O)OH + H2O  ->  Ni(OH)2  + OH-   (9)

Equation (9) must be multiplied by 2 in order to balance the electron flow between the two half reactions.  This yields the following:

2e- +  2Ni(O)OH + H2O  ->  2Ni(OH)2  + 2OH-  

Cancelling the hydroxides that appear on both sides of the reactions produces the overall net ionic reaction:

Cd (s)  +  2Ni(O)OH  +  2H2O  ->  2Ni(OH)2  +  Cd(OH)2 (aq)  (10)

During the recharge period, the reactions are reversed so that Cd(OH)2 is reduced back to Cd; while the Ni(OH)2 is oxidized back to Ni(O)OH.

Reduction:  Cd(OH)2 (aq)  + 2e- ->  Cd (s)   (11)

Oxidation:  2Ni(OH)2  -> 2Ni(O)OH  +  2e-  (12)

Li-ion Discharge Reactions

Reduction at the Cathode: CoO2 + Li+ + e- -> LiCoO2 

Oxidation at the Anode: LiC6 -> C6 + Li ++ e-

Students will predict the recharge reactions.

Ecological Footprint Analysis: located at: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/:

Students can log in with their school associated email; however, a subscription to the site provides the classroom access to various resources. Subscription is by donation.  The classroom level membership provides classroom access for ecological footprint analyses. Students will be able to measure various footprints online and have their scores archived for future reference. Membership also provides weekly newsletters from the network, along with other resources to study and promote sustainable activity. 

Selecting your future electric vehicle: 

Electric Vehicle Database: Fuel Economy of Electric Vehicles:

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/PowerSearch.do?action=noform&path=1&year1=2017&year2=2019&vtype=Electric&pageno=1&sortBy=Comb&tabView=0&rowLimit=10

State kWh price database: Electric Power Monthly:  https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_06_b

Energy Source of Electricity Generation by state: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/24/climate/how-electricity-generation-changed-in-your-state.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Environmental Impact of electric vehicles: Cradle to Grave emissions lifetime of electric vs. ice auto:

https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2015/11/Cleaner-Cars-from-Cradle-to-Grave-full-report.pdf

Alternative Fuels Data Base: 

https://afdc.energy.gov

Electric Vehicles Benefits and Considerations: 

https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_benefits.html

Electric Charging Stations in Pennsylvania: https://afdc.energy.gov/stations/#/analyze?region=US-PA&show_map=true&country=US&access=public&access=private&fuel=ELEC&lpg_secondary=true&hy_nonretail=true&ev_levels=all

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