Engineering: Water Filter Design Lab Data Worksheet

Question 1

A class tested three water filters. Filter A removed 6 spoonfuls of dirt, Filter B removed 9 spoonfuls of dirt, and Filter C removed 7 spoonfuls of dirt. Which filter removed the most dirt?

Accepted Answer

Filter B removed the most dirt because 9 spoonfuls is greater than 6 spoonfuls and 7 spoonfuls.

Question 2

Maya's filter had layers in this order from top to bottom: gravel, sand, cotton. Explain why using layers can help clean dirty water better than using only one material.

Accepted Answer

Using layers can help because each material can catch different sizes of particles. Gravel can catch larger pieces, sand can catch smaller particles, and cotton can catch very small bits.

Question 3

A group measured how cloudy the water looked after filtering. They used a scale from 1 to 5, where 1 means very clear and 5 means very cloudy. Trial 1 scored 4, Trial 2 scored 3, and Trial 3 scored 2. What trend do the data show?

Accepted Answer

The data show that the water became clearer over the three trials because the cloudiness score went down from 4 to 3 to 2.

Question 4

A filter cleaned 120 milliliters of dirty water. After filtering, 90 milliliters of water came out. How many milliliters of water were trapped in the filter materials?

Accepted Answer

The filter trapped 30 milliliters of water because 120 - 90 = 30.

Question 5

Team Red tested a filter twice. The first test took 80 seconds. The second test took 100 seconds. What was the average filtering time?

Accepted Answer

The average filtering time was 90 seconds because 80 + 100 = 180, and 180 divided by 2 equals 90.

Question 6

Look at this lab data: Filter A had a clarity score of 2 and took 120 seconds. Filter B had a clarity score of 1 and took 180 seconds. If the goal is the clearest water, which filter is better and why?

Accepted Answer

Filter B is better for the goal of clearest water because its clarity score is 1, which means very clear water. Filter A was faster, but it did not make the water as clear.

Question 7

A student says, "My filter is the best because I like how it looks." Is this a strong engineering claim? Explain your answer.

Accepted Answer

This is not a strong engineering claim because it does not use test data. A stronger claim would use evidence such as clarity score, filtering time, or amount of dirt removed.

Question 8

Team Blue used only gravel in its filter. The water came out quickly but was still cloudy. What is one design improvement the team could try next?

Accepted Answer

The team could add a layer of sand or cotton to catch smaller particles. This improvement might make the water clearer, even if it filters more slowly.

Question 9

A class recorded the amount of dirt left after filtering. Filter X left 4 grams of dirt, Filter Y left 2 grams of dirt, and Filter Z left 5 grams of dirt. Which filter performed best based on this data?

Accepted Answer

Filter Y performed best because it left only 2 grams of dirt, which is the least amount.

Question 10

Jamal changed one thing in his filter: he added more sand. The water was clearer in the next test. Why is it important that Jamal changed only one thing at a time?

Accepted Answer

Changing only one thing at a time helps Jamal know what caused the result. Since he only added more sand, he has evidence that the extra sand may have helped make the water clearer.

Question 11

A filter has four layers: large gravel, small gravel, sand, and coffee filter paper. Put the layers in a helpful order from top to bottom for filtering muddy water, and explain your choice.

Accepted Answer

A helpful order is large gravel, small gravel, sand, and coffee filter paper from top to bottom. This order catches large particles first, then smaller particles, and the paper can catch very fine particles near the end.

Question 12

A group tested the same filter three times and got clarity scores of 2, 2, and 5. Why might the group want to repeat the test again?

Accepted Answer

The group might repeat the test because one result, 5, is very different from the other two results. Another test can help them check if there was a mistake or if the filter sometimes works differently.

Question 13

The goal is to design a filter that makes water clearer and does not take more than 150 seconds. Filter A has a clarity score of 1 and takes 170 seconds. Filter B has a clarity score of 2 and takes 140 seconds. Which filter better meets both parts of the goal?

Accepted Answer

Filter B better meets both parts of the goal because it takes 140 seconds, which is under 150 seconds, and it still improves the water clarity. Filter A is clearer but takes too long.

Question 14

Create a simple data table with three columns for a water filter test. The columns should help an engineer compare filter designs.

Accepted Answer

A good data table could have columns labeled Filter Design, Clarity Score, and Filtering Time. These columns help compare what was built, how clear the water became, and how long the filter took.

Question 15

A team noticed that charcoal made the water smell better, but their lab data did not include smell. What should the team add to the next test plan?

Accepted Answer

The team should add a way to measure or describe smell in the next test plan, such as a smell rating scale. This would give them data to support a claim about charcoal improving smell.

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Engineering: Water Filter Design Lab Data

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