This document describes an experiment to simulate an oil spill and its effects. Students will create simulated crude oil and contaminate a fresh water dish with it. They will then test different sorbent materials to see how effectively they clean up the oil and how quickly. Feathers will also be dipped in the contaminated water to see how oil harms bird feathers and how difficult it is to clean them. The experiment aims to help students understand the challenges of cleaning up an oil spill and its impacts on birds.

1. Betterwater,
betterworld
OIL SPILL
Scientific Explanation
An oil spill is the release of a
liquidpetroleum hydrocarbon into
the environment, especially marine Difficult
areas, due to human activity, and is to
a form of pollution. And we will clean.
show you how does the spill oil
affects the birds, and how to absorb
the oil.
What is it about? Harm
birds.
This experiment will help you
understand why it is such a
difficult task to clean up an oil
spill, and what happens to the Diana Cueva #5
bird´s feathers. Regina Cuevas #6
Carla Decanini #7
Bianca Gutiérrez #8
Paulina López #9

2. Procedure
2. See if the sorbent clean up, and
To prepare the fresh water: how quickly.See if the sorbent pick
1. Fill baking dish with cold tap up water too, if so, how can you
water to within 1 cm of rim. What is going to happen?
tell?See if the sorbent sink or float
2. Add 5-6 drops of food dye. 3. Remove sorbent with tweezers The oil will affect the feathers
3. Mix dye and water with a or tongs.
stirring stick. and it will be very difficult to
4. Repeat step 1 with other
4. Let solution settle. clean the oil.
sorbent samples.
5. See how the fresh water/ocean
different from tap water.
To determine how oil effects
feathers: Conclusions
To simulate crude oil:
1. Place 3 tbsp. of vegetable oil in 1. Dip feather into oil-
It is so difficult to clean an oil
mug. contaminated fresh water.
spill and it may took a lot of
2. Add 2 tbsp. of cocoa powder.
time. The bird´s feathers will
3. Mix cocoa powder and oil
thoroughly with a popsicle stick. harm a lot.
To contaminate fresh water:
1. Very slowly pour simulated
crude oil from a height of 1 cm
onto the top of the fresh water
dish.
2.See what happened to the oil
when you dropped it on the fresh
water/ocean.
3. Wait 3 minutes.
4.After de 3 minutes, see the
difference that happened to the
fresh water/ ocean when you
dropped de oil.
Affected by the spill oil…
To test the sorbents:
1. Place a small sorbent sample
into the centre top of the
contaminated fresh water.