A plastic water bottle can be used as a water filtration system.
Students can learn about water pollution by developing and using a homemade system of water filtration by pairing water bottles with some type of screen, such as pantyhose, a coffee filter or small screen. By constructing a water filtration system, students can demonstrate clean heavily polluted water and determine which filtration system works the best.
Filtration Using a Straw, Jar and a Bottle
Cut the bottom of a water bottle off and poke a hole in the cap of the bottle just large enough for a straw to fit into. After inserting the straw, turn the bottle upside down and rest it in the mouth of a clean jar. In the bottle, place cotton batting followed by different types of sand and gravel, from fine to heavy in texture. Finally cut and insert a coffee filter that fits into the bottle and place it on top of the gravel. Finally pour muddy water through the bottle, allowing it to pass through the filtration system. The final result will be filtered water in the jar.
Basic Filtration Using Just a Bottle
Cut a water bottle in half. Remove the cap and place the top half of the bottle upside down into the bottom half of the bottle. The top half will be layered with various filtering materials such as gravel, sand and cotton balls. Use cooking oil, pieces of paper, Styrofoam and food coloring for the dirty water. Pour the water through, the result of the filtered water will be found in the base of the bottle.
Natural Water Bottle Filtration
Cut the bottom off a water bottle. Use pebbles, non-poisonous leaves or grass, or cotton material to stop the sand from getting out of the container. Place one of these items in the bottle with the cap part of the bottle facing down. Next add a layer of gravel and fill the bottle with sand. Remove the cap and pour the water you collected through the filter.
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