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wait, does anybody know any good resources that would help in studying for water quality?

_anatomy_ wrote:wait, does anybody know any good resources that would help in studying for water quality?

The internet! Wikipedia! Check your local water board for more resources

wait
can i actually use those rules
How long ago was water quality an event?
wait so will i also have to know individual macro invertebrates

_anatomy_ wrote:wait
can i actually use those rules
How long ago was water quality an event?
wait so will i also have to know individual macro invertebrates

Water Quality was last an event in B in 2006. If you recall, chalker stated that those rules are not 100% accurate of the event coming next year. If I were you, I'd use the rules as a reference for the testing portion (remediation, standards, quality, etc.). It isn't finalized if there is actual macroinvertebrate identification, so I wouldn't start on that. It might be beneficial to start looking into the salinometer.

Just a small update on the salinometer I started to work on:
- I built the simple clay-and-straw version. It works well, but in my opinion its a bit inaccurate. It wobbles considerably, and its often difficult to read.
- I started fooling around with an electric salinometer - basically, I'm using a 9volt battery to power it, and placed two leads of the wire into the water. I attached an ammeter into the circuit, and after some testing, found that it is very, very accurate. The only problem I found is that the temperature of the water greatly affects the current carrying capacity. I wouldn't be so sure of using this at competition unless I've taken readings and measurements for almost all possible temperatures.
- Just a suggestion to anyone planning on building - the clay-and-straw version is often too light, per se, and in certain concentrations it barely stays below the water. A good tip is to add some lead shots inside the straw and sealing it with clay.

quizbowl wrote:Just a small update on the salinometer I started to work on:
- I built the simple clay-and-straw version. It works well, but in my opinion its a bit inaccurate. It wobbles considerably, and its often difficult to read.
- I started fooling around with an electric salinometer - basically, I'm using a 9volt battery to power it, and placed two leads of the wire into the water. I attached an ammeter into the circuit, and after some testing, found that it is very, very accurate. The only problem I found is that the temperature of the water greatly affects the current carrying capacity. I wouldn't be so sure of using this at competition unless I've taken readings and measurements for almost all possible temperatures.
- Just a suggestion to anyone planning on building - the clay-and-straw version is often too light, per se, and in certain concentrations it barely stays below the water. A good tip is to add some lead shots inside the straw and sealing it with clay.

I think a straw is too light, you should use a glass rod instead.

gneissisnice wrote:

quizbowl wrote:Just a small update on the salinometer I started to work on:
- I built the simple clay-and-straw version. It works well, but in my opinion its a bit inaccurate. It wobbles considerably, and its often difficult to read.
- I started fooling around with an electric salinometer - basically, I'm using a 9volt battery to power it, and placed two leads of the wire into the water. I attached an ammeter into the circuit, and after some testing, found that it is very, very accurate. The only problem I found is that the temperature of the water greatly affects the current carrying capacity. I wouldn't be so sure of using this at competition unless I've taken readings and measurements for almost all possible temperatures.
- Just a suggestion to anyone planning on building - the clay-and-straw version is often too light, per se, and in certain concentrations it barely stays below the water. A good tip is to add some lead shots inside the straw and sealing it with clay.

I think a straw is too light, you should use a glass rod instead.

I did try a glass rod. It might have just been too large, or I didn't calibrate it right, but it would need a pretty hefty amount of water and a high concentration of salts to float.

actually pretty excited for this event (as well as R&M and Forestry)
It doesn't look too complicated in fact, my brother wants to be an entomologist so he is CONSTANTLY going on about all the larvae and ID, so SEEN IT! and Water testing (section 3 of the 2006 rules) -- i went a LITTLE over board with that on Sci Cri in 2010 (I FREAKED so i have PILES of info on that) and i've done it before.
as for section 1 COOL! I hope this event does go through and that i get to compete in this .. next step: salinometer and hydrometer
thanks for posting the example gneissisnice.

I think that you shouldn't dedicate an entire event to water. There is no need. Water is one of the parts studied in the ecology event. In my state competition, there was six timed stations, and one was dedicated entirely to water.
It seems that they are taking out all the good events this year (ornithology, fossils, ECOLOGY,...)
I know some people may not agree with me, and may like staring at water better than studying the broad subject of ecology(jk, jk), so sry if I caused any offense, but I'd like it if maybe they shouldn't take out one of the more popular events and replace it with an event that is less liked. But since I can't change it, I might as well embrace it. So i have questions about it. Note: I know nothing at all about it, but I'm gonna do it because there's nothing else left... So,
1: Do we get a double-sided page of notes or a binder?
2: Do we get to use a calculator?
3: Where are some good sites for learning about this?
Note #2: I epically failed the water part in my state event.... Maybe I shouldn't do this event after all ...

geekychic13 wrote:I think that you shouldn't dedicate an entire event to water. There is no need. Water is one of the parts studied in the ecology event. In my state competition, there was six timed stations, and one was dedicated entirely to water.
It seems that they are taking out all the good events this year (ornithology, fossils, ECOLOGY,...)
I know some people may not agree with me, and may like staring at water better than studying the broad subject of ecology(jk, jk), so sry if I caused any offense, but I'd like it if maybe they shouldn't take out one of the more popular events and replace it with an event that is less liked. But since I can't change it, I might as well embrace it. So i have questions about it. Note: I know nothing at all about it, but I'm gonna do it because there's nothing else left... So,
1: Do we get a double-sided page of notes or a binder?
2: Do we get to use a calculator?
3: Where are some good sites for learning about this?
Note #2: I epically failed the water part in my state event.... Maybe I shouldn't do this event after all ...

Water Quality actually precedes Ecology by quite a bit; Ecology was introduced when I was in 10th grade (4 years ago), it was Water Quality prior that. So if anything, Ecology's the usurper.