GLOBAL WARMING INVESTIGATION

 

 

NAME______________________________________________________________________________________________       

 

 

These are approximate values for the carbon dioxide concentration (this volume is measured in parts per million or ppm) in the atmosphere.  Sources are the National Aeronautical and Space Administration and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

               

 

                Number of years (since 1865)             CO2 Concentration (ppm)

                0                                                              290

                5                                                              291

                15                                                            293

                25                                                            296

                35                                                            298

                45                                                            300

                55                                                            303

                65                                                            307

                75                                                            308

                85                                                            311

                95                                                            316

                105                                                          325         

                115                                                          338

                125                                                          354

                130                                                          360

 

  1. First create a scatter plot for this data, and then draw in the best fit line.  Do a cubic regression and store the equation in Y1 by pressing second enter and L1,L2,Y1. ( Your results should look like the picture of the graph below.)  Write an equation for this line if y represents the # of  years and C represents the concentration.   

 

 

 

        The equation is____________________________________________________

 

  1. Construct a professional-looking graph based upon your results.   Use graph paper using with tic marks equal to 5 years.  Attach your graph to the back of this worksheet.

 

  1. What is an approximate concentration level for 1855?  During what year will the concentration level reach 400 ppm?  What is the value of the vertical intercept and what does it mean in the context of this problem?

4.     Analyzing changes in concentration level

 

A.      What was the average yearly rate of change in the concentration of carbon dioxide over the years of this study?(1865 is year 0)  Answer this question numerically(using data above)and graphically by considering the slope between points.  Draw in the secant line on the graph that you will be submitting with this worksheet.

 

 

B.    Which decade experienced the greatest rate of  increase in carbon dioxide concentration levels?  You may answer this question by first eye-balling your graphs and then using the numbers in that region to compute an average.  You may want to employ the trace commands as well as use your table of data.

 

 

 

 

 

    1. Approximately, which year experienced the greatest rate of  increase in carbon dioxide concentration levels?  What was the rate of increase? 

 

 

 

 

D.    During what period of time did the concentration increase at a decreasing rate?  Conjecture as to why this may have happened during that period of time.