For my project, I decided to simulate an oil spill, and test how well four certain substances clean up oil spills, finding which one does the best job. For this experiment, four separate trials were conducted. Each trial consisted of approximately 50 milliliters of motor oil being poured into a 14.5 inch x 10.5 inch pan. The substance being tested was then placed, or in certain cases, dumped, on the oil, and was left there for a period of ten minutes. After ten minutes had elapsed, the substance was removed from the pan, and it was observed how much of the oil remained. The pan was cleaned thoroughly with a scraper, and then the process was repeated for the next substance.

The oil was transparent, and seemed to have alight brown color to it. The oil spread slowly in the pan. Substance # 1 absorbed the oil directly below it and right next to it, but left large amounts of oil in the pan. Substance # 2 absorbed most of the oil, but left scattered droplets of oil throughout the pan. Substance # 3 was difficult to remove from the pan, but it managed to absorb almost all of the oil in the pan, leaving a very thin layer on the surface of the pan. Substance # 4 was even more difficult to remove from the pan than substance # 3, because it tended to clump together and stick to the pan more. It did absorb almost all of the oil, though, only leaving a slight layer on the surface of the pan, much like substance # 3 did. While all four substances did clean up the oil reasonably well, none of them removed the oil completely, although some did work better than others. From the observations in this experiment, it can be concluded that substance # 1 would work best in an actual oil spill as a stopper, placed in a certain area to prevent the spill from spreading further, much like how sandbags are used as stoppers in a flood. Substance #2 could be useful if a very large version of it were used in an actual oil spill, covering a large area of the spill. Substances # 3 and 4 absorbed the oil the best, and were able to cover the entire spill. Substance # 3 is the less sticky substance of the two, so it would be the best choice for an oil spill.

Though the proportions of this experiment are extremely small in comparison to oil spills in the real world, the data obtained from the experiment can help in finding the best resources or materials for cleaning up oil spills. From the data in this experiment, it was concluded that substance # 3 was the most effective in removing the spilled oil. By experimenting with small amounts of oil in controlled areas (like a pan), new and different materials can be tested to discover more and more effective ways in which to clean up oil spills.

 

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