Aerobic means involving oxygen. Anaerobic means involving a lack of oxygen.
100
What do MFCs do?
They harness energy from soil microbes.
100
What is the definition of energy?
Energy is the ability to do work.
100
Where are microbes found?
Almost everywhere!
200
Explain sterile technique when used in plating.
Do not touch anything with the swab, do not breathe on the swab, close the swab container after you pick out a swab, wear gloves, only open the Petri plate when you're ready to plate.
200
What is the difference between soil and dirt?
Dirt is just soil where you don't want it.
200
What is it very important to keep out of your MFC?
Air bubbles
200
Name 5 types of energy.
Kinetic energy, potential energy, solar energy, chemical energy, mechanical energy, wind energy, sound energy, heat, electrical energy, ect.
200
Are there more or less bacterial cells on and in the human body than human cells?
more
300
Where can you find information about what's in the plate?
On the label on the bottom of the plate.
300
What does it mean if the soil is white? If it is dark brown?
If the soil is white, it doesn't have any organic material. If the soil is dark brown, it has a lot of organic material.
300
What does MFC stand for?
Microbial Fuel Cell
300
What is the definition of power?
The amount of work done/ the amount of time it took to do it
300
What is the definition of a microbe?
an organism so small, you need a microscope to see it
400
What is in a Petri plate?
Nutrient Agar
400
How many microbes are in a gram of soil?
About 1 billion.
400
Why shouldn't there be any oxygen in the anode?
Because it is a very good electron acceptor, and so will stop the electrons from flowing to the cathode.
400
Where does the energy in the MFC come from?
It comes from the flow of electrons that is the by-product of the microbial respiration.
400
Are microbes aerobic or anaerobic?
they can be aerobic, anaerobic, or both
500
What information should the label on a plate contain?
Date it was made, type of Agar, what the sample is, your name
500
What might an anaerobic soil smell like?
It might smell like sulfer.
500
Briefly explain how an MFC works.
Through respiration the soil mircrobes produce electrons. These electrons collect underneath the anode and travel to the cathode, creating a current that we measure as electricity.
500
What is the equation we used to calculate power?
((energy)^2)/resistance with energy in volts and resistance in ohms.