This is a self-study lab on exploring wetlands that you and your family or students can do on your own. It requires a smartphone and curiosity. Go explore!
All in Soil
Science blooper reel
Five of my biggest science bloopers of the past year. Things do not always go as planned.
November in the Lab: Extractable nutrients, or what color is it?
Phosphorus and nitrogen are essential for plants, but can become pollutants in high concentrations, so I am measuring levels in the soil in my study sites. In this series of analyses, I am using the color of chemical reactions to measure the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus in soil. In the analysis, I compare the color of my samples to the color of samples of known concentration using a spectrometer. This analysis shows a convoluted and ingenious way that someone came up with to measure these very low concentrations of elements.
October in the Lab
What do I do with the soil samples once I bring them back to the lab? Some fancy science and a lot of weighing and re-weighing each sample. See a sequence to prepare soil for nutrient content analysis.