Clear Water | databot Middle School Labs

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databot

IOS/Android Smart Device

Transparent glass or plastic cup

Clean water

Various pollutants (e.g., soil, oil,
soda, food coloring, etc.)

Different filtration materials

Funnel, stirring stick or spoon

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Overview

Background

Water is essential for all life on Earth, but its quality
can be severely impacted by pollution. Pollutants,
including plastics, chemicals, and industrial waste, can
enter our water sources, affecting both the
environment and human health. Over time,
contaminants accumulate, making it difficult for
aquatic life to thrive and for humans to access clean
water.

Water filtration is a crucial process that helps remove
harmful substances from water, making it safe to
drink, use in agriculture, and release back into the
environment. There are many types of filters, including
sand, activated charcoal, and even natural materials
like cloth. These filters can trap particles, absorb
chemicals, and purify water to varying degrees.
Understanding how filtration works can help us make
informed decisions about preserving and restoring
water quality, which is essential for maintaining
healthy ecosystems and preventing further damage
from pollution.

What You Will Need/Prep

Test your databot™ connection.

You will be prompted to select
and connect to databot™ each
time you launch an experiment.

If there are two or more
databot™'s listed, the one
closest to your device will be
highlighted.

Study the background
information.

Clear Water

In this experiment, we’ll explore how human activity
can affect the quality of water and how different
filtration methods can help clean it. This experiment
will simulate the impact of pollution on water quality
and allow us to assess the effectiveness of filtration
techniques. You’ll understand how human actions,
like dumping waste into water sources, can cause
long-lasting environmental damage and how certain
methods can help restore water quality. This lab
connects water pollution to environmental
protection, giving you hands-on experience with
monitoring and improving water systems.

Install Vizeey™ on your
Smart device.

Scan the QR code to load
the experiment.

Grades: Middle School

Time: 45 Minutes

Subject: Earth Water

Topics: Water pollution

Light

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Important Terms

Learning Objectives

In this investigation you will master the following knowledge and skills:

Measure light transmission through clean and polluted water using databot™.

Investigate the effect of various pollutants on water clarity.

Test different filtration methods and measure their effectiveness.

Record and analyze data to determine the best filtration technique.

Understand the environmental impact of water pollution and how filtration helps restore
water quality.

Light transmission: the amount of light that passes through a substance, which can be
used to measure its clarity.

Water pollution: the introduction of harmful substances into water bodies, often as a result
of human activity.

Filtration: the process of removing contaminants from water by passing it through a filter.

Contaminants: substances that pollute water, such as sand, oil, or chemicals.

Filter types: materials used to remove contaminants from water, including sand, cloth,
activated charcoal, and paper.

You will simulate water pollution by introducing common contaminants and then use
various filtration methods to purify the water. By measuring how light passes through the
water at each stage, you will observe the impact of pollution on transparency and evaluate
how effectively each filtration method restores the water's clarity. This experiment will
provide valuable insights into the science of water purification.

databot Investigations | Earth Science | Clear Water

Interesting Facts

Around 80% of water pollution comes from land-based activities, including industrial waste,
agriculture runoff, and urbanization.

Clean water is a luxury in many parts of the world. According to the UN, 1 in 3 people lack
access to safe drinking water.

Natural filtration processes, like wetlands and soil filtration, play an essential role in
cleaning water before it reaches rivers and lakes.

Some animals, like fish, can adapt to polluted environments, but many species face
extinction due to long-term contamination.

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Using Vizeey

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Turn on databot by pressing this button.

Then in the Vizeey app, select "Add experiment from QR
code" and scan the QR code prepared for this experiment.
Your experiment will appear in the list of experiments.

When you start the experiment you will be immediately
offered to connect to your databot.

Here you will see a graph that illustrates the changes
in Illuminance over time.

To work with the experiment, you need to run the Vizeey
application. If you don't have it, you can download it from
the Play Store or the App Store.

Current Illuminance

You can fix the current Illuminance value
by pressing this button

Safety Guidelines

Before starting the experiment, review these essential safety guidelines to ensure a safe
and successful lab experience.

✅ General Safety Rules:

1. Handle materials carefully – avoid spilling water on electronics (databot™, computer,
power outlets).

2. Wear protective gloves when handling contaminants like soil, oil, or activated charcoal.

3. Do not taste the water! Even after filtration, it may still contain invisible impurities.

4. Be cautious when cutting plastic bottles – use safety scissors and ask for adult
supervision if needed.

5. Work on a stable surface to prevent cups from tipping over.

Light

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Look at the clean water in the glass. How would you describe its appearance? What do you think makes it appear clear?

What are some common pollutants that can make water cloudy or dirty? Where do these pollutants come from in nature and human activity?

Have you ever seen water naturally filtered? (For example, rainwater soaking into the ground or passing through sand.) How do natural processes clean water?

What kinds of water filtration systems have you seen at home or in public places? What materials are commonly used for filtering water?

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Part 1: Initial Observations and Questions

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Before beginning the experiment, take a moment to observe and discuss the following:

Part 2: Hypothesis

Before you start measuring with databot™, think about what you expect to discover about water pollution and filtration. A hypothesis is your best guess—your prediction—about what will happen, based on what you already know or imagine. Use the questions below to guide you in forming your own hypotheses for the two parts of this experiment. Write them down in the format: "I predict that… because…"

Water Pollution and Light Transmission

How do you think adding contaminants will affect the amount of light passing through the water?

Example: "I predict that adding oil to the water will block more light than sand because oil spreads out and forms a thick layer on the surface."

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Your turn:

I predict that __________________________ will block more light than_________________because

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I predict that _____________________ will be the most effective at cleaning the water because

I predict that __________________________ will block more light than_________________because

Water Filtration

Which filtration method do you think will restore the water's clarity the best?

Example: "I predict that activated charcoal will remove more contaminants than a paper filter because it can absorb tiny particles and chemicals."

Your turn:

Part 3: Experiment Procedure

In this experiment, you’ll use databot™ to simulate and measure water pollution and filtration. First, you’ll test how different pollutants affect water clarity by measuring light transmission. Then, you’ll experiment with various filtration methods to clean the water. Work in teams to find the most effective filter, record your results, and discover how science helps us protect water resources!

I predict that _____________________ will be the most effective at cleaning the water because

If you have multiple databots, consider dividing students into teams to run experiments simultaneously. Ensure that all teams begin with identical starting conditions, such as the same volume of water in each glass, for accurate comparisons.

To deepen the investigation, assign each team a different pollutant. This will allow students to analyze how various contaminants affect water quality and filtration effectiveness.

If you’re working with just one databot, conduct the experiment one step at a time, testing each pollutant separately. Be sure to keep the starting water volume consistent for reliable results.

Light

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databot Investigations | Earth Science | Clear Water

Pour clean water into the glass.

Tap on "Clear Water " in Vizeey to load the experiment.

You will be prompted to connect to databot.
- Hint- if there is more than one databot in use, the one closest to you will be in blue!
- A solid blue light on databot means you are connected.

Start your experiment using:

Use these icons at the top of the screen in Vizeey to start and to pause the
experiment.

Record the initial light transmission reading from databot™. This serves as the baseline
for comparison.

Initial light transmission for clear water __________________ lux.

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Databot (sensor up
direction)

Empty transparent
glass or container

A glass of clean water

Light source

Do not change the position of the light source relative to the location of the
databot. The light should fall on the databot equally from the beginning to the
end of the experiment. If you suspect that students will move databot, it is
better to stick it to the table with duct tape.

Part 1: Measuring Water Pollution

Set Up the Experiment:

Place databot™ on a stable surface.

Position a clean, transparent cup on top of databot™ so that its light sensor can measure how much light passes through the water.

Ensure the sensor is directly under the glass to get consistent readings.

Light

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Type of Pollutant Added	Light Transmission After Pollution, Lux	Observations (color, clarity, etc.)

Choose a contaminant (e.g., soil, oil, soda, or food coloring) and add a small amount to the water.

Stir gently to mix.

Observe how much the value changed compared to clean water.

Test each pollutant separately, always starting with a fresh cup of clean water.

Record the readings for each type of pollution in a data table.

Сontaminant

Part 2: Filtering the Polluted Water

Set Up the Experiment:

Place databot™ on a stable surface.

Position a clear cup on top of
databot™ so its light sensor can
measure how much light passes
through the water.

Fill the cup with clean water and
immediately pollute it (e.g., soil, oil,
soda, or food coloring), or use the
already polluted water from Part 1.

Databot (sensor up
direction)

Light source

Polluted water

Initial light transmission for clear water_____________ lux.

Light

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Tap on "Clear Water " in Vizeey to load the experiment.

You will be prompted to connect to databot.
- Hint- if there is more than one databot in use, the one closest to you will be in blue!
- A solid blue light on databot means you are connected.

Start your experiment using:

Use these icons at the top of the screen in Vizeey to start and to pause the
experiment.

Record the light transmission of the polluted water using databot™.

Write these values in the table below.

Set Up the Filtration System

Choose a filtering material (e.g., paper towel, coffee filter,
sand, activated charcoal, or cotton).

Place the filter in a funnel or the top half of a cut plastic
bottle.

Position an empty cup underneath to collect the filtered
water.

Slowly pour the polluted water through the filtering material.

Observe how much contamination is removed.

After filtration, place the purified water back into the
databot™ and measure the light transmittance again.

Record the data in the table

Compare the results with the contaminated water and the
original clean water.

Water after filter

Filtering Material	Light Transmission - Polluted Water, Lux	Light Transmission- Filtered Water, Lux	Observations (Color, Clarity, etc.)

Initial light transmission for clear water_____________ lux.

Light

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How to Calculate Effectiveness

Field for your calculations

Which filter was the most effective? ______________________________________________________

Part 5: Concept Questions

How does filtration remove contaminants from water, and why is this important for water quality?

What happens to the light transmission as the water becomes more polluted?

Part 6: Reflection

Which filtration method was most effective in restoring clarity to the water? Why do you think this method worked best?

How does this experiment relate to the challenges communities face in maintaining clean water sources?

You should use clean water as your baseline to measure how effectively each filter restores
clarity. By comparing the light transmission of the water after filtration to that of the clean
water, you can determine the efficiency of different filtration materials. The closer the
filtered water's clarity is to the original, the more effective the filter.

, %

Light