Lesson 2: The Science of Oil Spills

Category: Engineering/Science—This lesson includes information 

Purpose: To study the effect of an oil spill and ways to clean it up.

What is an oil spill? An oil spill is a mistake or carelessness that causes the oil to spill on water or land. Oil spills are harmful to marine birds and mammals as well as fish and shellfish. Large oil spills at sea can affect thousands of marine animals and destroy habitats, as well as affect the fishing and the tourist industries. Exposure to hydrocarbons can also harm people’s health.

What happens to spilled oil in the water? The oil in water spreads, dissolves, settles, moves, and evaporates.

Materials Needed:

• Aluminum pie plate 

• Salt 

• Water

• Vegetable oil

• Food coloring

• Cotton 

• Straw 

• Fake fur

• Feathers 

• Detergent 

Directions:

1. Make predictions about how easily oil can be separated from the water using the above materials or other materials from around the house.

2. Attempt to remove the oil from the water.

3. Record what happens

   1. Does the oil spread out?

   2. Does it cling to the cleaning material? 

   3. Can the oil be contained in a small space?

4. Consider post-activity questions

   1. Which techniques seemed to work the best? 

   2. What effect did detergent have on the oil? 

   3. What happened when a feather was used? 

   4. What might this tell us about the effects of oil spills on birds? 

   5. Fire is another method of cleaning up an oil spill. Where does the oil go when it burns? 

   6. What kind of problems might this cause? 

   7. When the oil reaches the shoreline, what other problems might occur?