SC4730: Module 4 Effects of Contaminants on the Environment Lab 4.1 Vehicle Sour
ID: 159380 • Letter: S
Question
SC4730: Module 4 Effects of Contaminants on the Environment
Lab 4.1
Vehicle Sources of Pollution
1
Refer to the Lab 4.1 handout for the data on air pollution caused by motor vehicles. In light of the
information provided in the handout, perform the following tasks: 1. Visit the parking lot of a public place, such as your university, a hotel, a shopping mall, your
workplace, and your building. At the parking lot, count and record 10 cars and the make, model, and
year (for example, Honda Civic, 2008). If you do not know the exact year, make a reasonable guess
about the age. This raw data must be submitted with your report. Be sure to record the number for
each category if there are multiple cars. You can use the following Parking Lot Tally Sheet as a
reference to record the data.
Make Model Year Honda Civic 2008
VW Golf 1990 Ford Explorer 2004
Source: Wagner, T., & Sanford, R. (2010). Environmental science: Active learning laboratories and applied
problem sets (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
2. Go to the US Department of Energy and US Environmental Protection Agency’s Fuel Economy web
site at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Findacar.htm. Input each automobile (assume
15,000/miles per year) and record the combined estimated fuel consumption and annual CO2
emissions. 3. After completing this chart, combine all the data and calculate the parking lot sample mean for fuel
consumption and CO2 emissions. 4. Using the data obtained in Step 2, use the two means to calculate the total amount per pollutant
category and the fuel consumption, contributed by all the registered vehicles in your state.
Note: Remember that you almost never have the exact data you need. You will have to make
assumptions and/or extrapolations. Clearly identify what assumptions you made and briefly explain
why you chose those assumptions.
SC4730: Module 4 Effects of Contaminants on the Environment
Lab 4.1
Vehicle Sources of Pollution
2
5. Use this same data, but for the country. Using the Federal Highway Administration’s web site
(http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/quickfinddata/qfvehicles.cfm), find the total number
of cars registered in the United States. Using your two means, calculate the national total amount of
gasoline consumed and the total amount of CO2 emitted on an annual basis.
Based on the data you gathered, answer the following questions: 1. What is the environmental significance of your findings? Were you surprised by any of the car
comparisons in your data? 2. Recommend two new policies to reduce automobile fuel consumption and the resultant air
pollution in your area.
Submission Requirements:
Submit your response in a MS Word document of the following specifications: Font: Arial; Point 12 Spacing: Double Include an APA title page. Refer to the sample APA title page. Cite all sources used in APA format, including at least one in-text citation from each source and a
Reference page. Page length: 1–2 pages, excluding the APA title page and Reference page.
Explanation / Answer
The experiment suggested above reuqires following details to complete the research work
1. Consumption of the fuel :- We can calculate the consumption of the fuel by checking the mileage of the car and to understand the pollution impact from a particular car we need to get it check for various gases that is emitted from the car.
Methods to control fuel consumption:- Car should be turned off while standing a traffic jam or a big traffic ligth because at that time the fuel is being wasted
The gear management of the car should be adequate and smooth which can prevent wastage of the fuel .
Environmental significance :-
1. The mileage and pollution imact can be analyzed which will help people to undertand which one is the better car to use.
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