Exhibits & Activities On-line

Weekend Spotlight: Planet Earth

At Home Activity: What’s in our Air?

Ever wonder what is in the air you breath? Depending on where you live and the conditions surrounding you, the air in your neighborhood might not be as clean as you think. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has developed the following activity to teach you more about the air around you.

What you need:

1. A clean, flat dish (a CD case cover, plastic plate, etc.)
2. Vaseline or other petroleum jelly

What to do:

1. Spread a layer of Vaseline onto your clean, flat dish. This will become your sample container.
2. Set the container outside where rain will not fall on it, perhaps under a windowsill or by the front door. Let it sit outside for two to three days, allowing enough time for small particles in the air to fall on it. The particles will be stuck to the jelly.
3. Cover the container and bring it into Chabot on a weekend day prior to June 15. You can then look at all the particles that landed on your dish through a microscope. We can compare what we see in your dish to other dishes and see how the different types of air pollutants vary from different areas.

What's happening:

There are many causes of pollutants, such as fires, industry, or cars. This experiment allows you to see what is in the air in your own neighborhood. There is a great deal to learn about the quality of your air, your health, and planet Earth during our current Weekend Spotlight theme (through June 15).