COLOMBO GALES SCHOOL

BIOLOGY DIPLOMA PROGRAM

TENTH GRADE

TITLE: Brief approach to effects of contaminants and sediments

on water sources and their surface tension in Rio Negro region on local water striders.

Topic: group 4 Project

Present to: Andres Prias

Written by:
Juan Pablo Ruiz
Martin Duarte
Juan David Reyes Garcia

Date: 19/05/17

Personal TOTAL
Exploration Analysis Evaluation Communication
engagement
___/2 ___/6 ___/6 ___/6 ___/4 ___/24

Summary
In the following investigation, we will calculate the surface tension of various water sources in the region of Nocaima,
taking into account the properties from every sample taken from the water sources. The properties that will be analyzed
are: a) water concentration, b) temperature c) location. With this information we will calculate the surface tension of the
water of each sample and compare them in order to to determine what physical and/or chemical factors cause change in
surface tension as well as how this change of properties may or may not affect the local water strider distribution of the
area analyzed.

Background information
Surface tension is a very relevant and important factor in nature which is responsible for the spherical form water takes
when suspended in the air or placed over any surface, as well as making it possible for insects to stride or walk over
water, it is defined as: The dragging force observed in the given liquid per unit length. (tutorvista), this means that the
surface molecules of water, unlike the submerged molecules of the same substance, cannot move freely through the body
of the water source as it is not completely surrounded by other water molecules causing it to be attracted towards the
inner body section of the water source, due to the intermolecular attraction of hydrogen bonding between water
molecules sense water is a polar molecule (Ford and Brown, 2014), which causes tension among the surface molecules
and is why water takes a spherical form, insects which are nonwettable and have a low enough weight can bear the
surface tension of water and use this to stand upon it.
It is also known that surface tension in water depends on various factors, of which one of the most relevant is its density,
and water´s density can vary with the change of temperature or contamination of other substances (Gatenby, 2013),
hence these are all factors which we shall take into consideration in our investigation.
The reason we chose this as our topic of investigation is because it always amazed us how such large vessels such as
carriers or cruise ships could float on water knowing that they were made up of elements far more heavy than water, upon
researching we discovered that this was possible do to a phenomena called buoyancy, which is basically the force that
causes floating (Woodford, 2017), however, then we thought of how insects could do this if they are not very heavy and

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cannot apply as much force towards the water as a large vessel can, so upon investigating the matter, we found that they
used the water's own surface tension, and given that this was directly related to the location we would go to gather
information and data for our investigation (Nocaima), we decided to use surface tension as our topic of investigation and
analyze it from all areas such as physics, chemistry and biology.

Objective
The objective of this investigation is to identify what physical and/or potential chemical factors contribute to the change in
surface tension in various water sources from the region of Nocaima, and how these changes in surface tension can
affect the water stride population inhabiting the analyzed areas.
We hypothesize that the main factor which will contribute to the change in surface tension of water is its density, so we
believe that external contaminants in the water are what will cause the greatest change in its density which will increase
its surface tension, which may possibly make the water non profitable for mosquito reproduction, hence causing them to
abandon that water source and alter the ecosystemic balance

Research question ;
How does contamination affects surface tension in the waters of Rionegro, Nocaima and how does this change in surface
tension may or may not disturb natural insect fauna of the analyzed zones? Predicting that those areas with higher
contaminant concentration and lower surface tension will have a diminished insect fauna.

Variable Independent:
Water Source: We will analyze 5 different water sources inside the Nocaima Region and 1 sample from Nocaima’s tap
water.

*Further research needs to be done for specifically know which will be the 6 water sources; but until now we will analyze

1) Closest section possible to the river’s calve.

2) Furthest section possible to the river’s calve.
3) Medium section between the point 1 and 2
4) Pond water #1
5) Pond Water #2

Variable Dependent:
There are three dependent variables that will be analyzed in our experiments.
● Surface tension of the water source using the capillary action method.
● Concentration of pure water using the flocculation and evaporation method.
● Water Strider population number using insect count method.

Controlled Variables:

*Instrumental margin of error will be included when we have the instruments

Table 1.1: Controlled Variables

Controlled
VARIABLE Measure method Control Method Results
Atmospheric Measure the atm in
Using an altimeter
Pressure Nocaima
Measure the temperature
Temperature Using a thermometer
of each water source

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 Viscosity of Measuring and recording
Viscometer
the liquid the viscosity of each liquid
Asking the local guidance in
Biome Staying in the same biome
which biome will we be located

Taking a sample of three

mosquitoes of each water
Looking for in internet which are Aedes albopictus
source to classify them
the major Water Strider Species Culex pipiens
Water Strider
found in Nocaima and them Anopheles SPP
Species *If the procedure gets too
classifying the specimens we
complex we will remove
find seconding those species *Most common
this as a controlled
species in
variable.
Cundinamarca

Materials :

The materials used for aiding the data collection are shown in the next table:

Table 2.1: Materials

Material (Sensor Aids) Parts

Container
Capillary Action Cabin
Thin clear tube

Power Cable
Balance
Balance

Altimeter
Thermometer +-c°C
Viscometer
Ruler (30cm)
x6 Beaker(1000mL)
PVC Quadrant (1mx1m)
Meter (1m) +-1mm
150 cm of rope
Marker
Spoon
Flocculant Solution
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 (Ferrix or Alum)
*Concentration and type
of flocculant need to be
discussed with
assessor.

Experimental procedure

Each of the water sources will pass through the next process three times.

● A Phase: Water information and Set Up

1. Take your meter and divide your PVC quadrant in four squares. For this you will need to measure 50 cm of length
and width in both sides of the quadrants and mark those points with your marker.
2. Take your 150cm rope and make a line with it that connects both marked points in the length; do the same with
the width. Each square will now be 50cmx50xm or 0.5mx 0.5m.
3. Search for a deep and large water source with indications of mosquito welfare in it, set your PVC quadrant around
the area you will analyze (1mx1m)
4. Take water from the water source and measure 500mL of it in the Beaker.
5. Take the beaker and pose it in the balance for getting the weight of the liquid. Record the value both of water’s
volume (0.5 L) and weight.
6. Calculate the density of the sample using the formula density = mass/volume. Record the data in table 3.1

● B Phase: Surface Tension

1. Fill the container with the liquid used for phase A. If you need more liquid, take it from the same water source.
2. Place the clean thin tube into the liquid forming an angle of 90° with the base of the container. Measure the
diameter of the tube and then divide it by two for getting the radius.
3. Place the ruler in the bottom of the container and measure how much height the liquid inside the tubing rises
above the liquid container. Record the data.
4. Take the values found in phase A and phase B. Compute them in the equation S = (ρhga/2) to find the Surface
tension. Where S is the surface tension, ρ is the density of the liquid you are measuring, h is the height the liquid
rises in the tube, g is the acceleration due to gravity acting on the liquid (9.8 m/s2) and a is the radius of the
capillary tube.
Table 3.1 Surface Tension Calculations

Height the
Surface
Density liquid rises
Water Information Test Weight (g) Volume (L) Tension
(g/L) in the tube
(J/m2)
(m)
#1 0.5
TAP WATER
#2 0.5

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 #3 0.5

#1 0.5

#2 0.5

#3 0.5

#1 0.5

#2 0.5

#3 0.5

#1 0.5

#2 0.5

#3 0.5

#1 0.5

#2 0.5

#3 0.5

#1 0.5

#2 0.5

#3 0.5

● C Phase: Water Strider Analysis

1. With your PVC square divided in four; you will count how many water striders are resting at the top of the water
inside one square. Then multiply your result by 4. The units of your findings will be in ws/m^2 (Water Striders per
Square meter).

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 2. Take one water strider out of the water and see if you can recognize it from the ones shown in the diagram below.

Record your findings.

Anopheles SPP Aedes albopictus Culex pipiens

("Tipos de mosquitos que hay en Colombia | Rentokil Initial", 2017)

Table 3.2 Water Strider analysis

Type of Water
Water Information Test
Strider
ws/m^2

#1

TAP WATER #2

#3

#1

#2

#3

#1

#2

#3

#1

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 #2

#3

#1

#2

#3

#1

#2

#3

● D Phase: Water Analysis

1. Prepare flocculant solution *Needs to be discussed with assessor
2. Take water used for phase B and measure 800mL of it in a beaker. Add 3mL of prepared flocculant solution. Stir it
with for two minutes and wait 15 minutes.
3. When the beaker is clear; pour the liquid inside it into another 100 mL beaker while you use the strainer to reduce
at its maximum the sediments found in the previous beaker (skimming and filtration) trying to get the purest water
possible.
4. Put the beaker in the balance and measure its weight. Now calculate water purity with the next formula: (initial
weight-final weight)*100%/(final weight).
Table 3.3 Water purity analysis

Water Initial Weight Final Weight Water Purity

Test
Information (g) (g) (%)

#1

TAP WATER #2

#3

#1

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 #2

#3

#1

#2

#3

#1

#2

#3

#1

#2

#3

#1

#2

#3

Table 3.4 Raw Data

Water Type of Water Water Purity

Test
Information Density (g/L) Strider ws/m^2 (%)
#1
TAP WATER
#2

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 #3

#1

#2

#3

#1

#2

#3

#1

#2

#3

#1

#2

#3

#1

#2

#3

References

Gutierrez, G., Williams, J., Alrehaili, G., McLean, A., Pirouz, R., & Amdur, R. et al. (2016). Surface tension and ecology
equilibrium. Physiological Reports, 4(17), e12949. http://dx.doi.org/10.14814/phy2.12949

Puerto, E. (2017). 1.2 PRESIÓN ATMOSFÉRICA. Ing. Efraín A. Puerto. Retrieved 15 May 2017, from
https://efrainpuerto.wordpress.com/2011/02/26/f1-2/

Tipos de mosquitos que hay en Colombia | Rentokil Initial. (2017). Rentokil.com.co. Retrieved 20 May 2017, from
http://www.rentokil.com.co/mosquitos/tipos-de-mosquitos/

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