8.7 Lesson 5B Check Your Progress
Scenario:
A typical middle school classroom is used by students (and a teacher) every weekday morning, and is not used otherwise. The windows are kept closed during the study. There is a small indoor garden in the classroom, with plants. A CO2 sensor was placed in the classroom, and CO2 levels in the classroom were measured over an 8-day period. The results of the sensor measurements produced a distinctive pattern of CO2 levels over time, seen in the graph below, and the class is wondering what could cause this pattern.
Please READ Important Information:
There are two main ways that CO2 levels in the classroom atmosphere can be affected:
Natural - plants absorb CO2 during photosynthesis (the process where plants use energy from sunlight to grow).
Human - People emit CO2 when they breathe.
The graph below shows the “Classroom CO2 Measurements” over an 8-day period.
Consider the following two claims:
Claim #1: The teacher, Mr. Archer, thinks that the pattern of spikes in CO2 is due to humans.
Claim #2: Mr. Archer’s son, Max, thinks that the pattern of spikes in CO2 is due to plants.