SamanthaLaSalle

Mr.Haggerty
Chemistry
5/8/16
TumblingComposter
Composting,amorecommonlyusedword
intherecentpast,andhopefullyafactorin
savingourplanet.Compostingistheprocess
offoodbeingmixedtogether,andturned
constantlyuntilsoiliscreated.Nowthis
soundseasyright,butthosearejustthe
basics,youneedaratioofonenitrogenand
threecarbon(compostconference),aswellasmoistureandoxygen.Nowitsgettingmore
complicated,buteventhroughalltheserules,composterseffectoftheenvironmentcouldhelpin
revivingourplanet.Wethrowawayfoodscrapseveryday,thosethingscangointoacomposter,
savingitfromgoingintoyourtownslandfill,spacethatcanbeusedforsomethingthatcant
decomposeandturnintosomethingthatcouldmakeyourhomegardenthrive.Compostingisa
starttozerowaste,makinglandfillsunnecessary,althoughitcanintrudeintoyourlifethesystem
isntdifficultandmanypeoplealreadyhaveone,andasmoreandmorepeoplerealizewhat
compostingtheycandothemorewehelpourplanet.
Forthisprojectwecreatedatumblingcomposter,thisisexactlywhatitsoundslike,a
composterthattumbles.Inourdesign,whichisamuchsmallerversion,wehavetwosodabottle

topsthathaveholespokedinthem,foraeration,andasmallpieceofplasticinthecentertohelp
thecompostmovearoundmoreaswellasgetmixedtogetherbetter.Wechoosethetopsofthe
bottlesbecausethiswouldhelpthecomposter
sitonthehangersthathelpthecomposter
itselfstand,andtumble.Wemoldedthetop
partofthehangertofitthenecksofthe
bottlesandclosearoundthemsoitwouldbe
morestable.Thebottomsofthebottleswere
takenandplacedunderneaththehangersso
theywouldstandupbythemselvesandbe
abletoholdthecomposter,wealsoputrocksinthebottomsofthesetoweighitdown.Insidethe
composterwehavetheratioofonenitrogenandthreecarbon.Thisincludesdeadleavesandhay
forcarbonandsomefoodscrapsfornitrogen.Wealsoaddedsomewormstothismixtohelpthe
decomposition.Wormswilleatthecontentsofthecomposteranditscastingprovidesvery
healthycompost.Oursystemisaaerobicratherthanananaerobic,thismeansoursystemhas
airflowratherthannoairflow,thisisimportantbecauseitnotonlyhelpskeepthesmellawaybut
alsoBecauseoxygendiffusesthousandsoftimesfasterthroughairthanthroughwater,oxygen
transferisimpededifwaterfillstheporesbetweencompostparticles.Ifthethinfilmsofwater
surroundingindividualparticlesdryout,however,themicroorganismsthatdecomposeinorganic
matterwillbecomeinactive.Therefore,thekeytosuccessfulcompostingistoprovideenough
watertomaintainthethinfilmsaroundcompostparticles,butnotsomuchthatitreplacesairin
thelargerpores.(Page10ofTheScienceofComposting:Chapter1).Therightratioofair

andwateriskeyinacompostsystem,hittingitwiththehoseeverysooftenwouldactuallybe
goodforit,aswellasmakingsureitisgettingair,andisnotcompletelysealedoff.Inalarge
tumblingcompostabout1520holesisrecommended.Heatisalsoanotherfactor,itiscausedby
theintenseactivitythatmicroorganismsarehavinginordertodecomposethenitrogenand
carbon,butifyoureusingawormbinorasystemthatdoesntheatup,likeours,thatdoesnt
meanitsnotworkingitsjustnotasrapidasathermophilicsystem.Thermophiliccomposting
shouldbeover40forthemajorityofthemtimeitisturningintosoil,thisisthermophilic
stage,ifitisbelow40itisprobablyinthemesophilicstageanditshouldreturntothisstage
afterthethermophilicstage.(Page2+5ofTheScienceofComposting:Chapter1).Compost
hasmanychemicalcomponents,thedecompositionprocessisachemicalprocessandcauses
chemicalreactionsandthereareproductsofthosereactions.Thedecompositioniswhenbacteria
andfungisecreteenzymesthatbreakdowncomplexorganiccompounds,thenabsorbsimpler
onesandcatalyzereactionsinwhichsugars,starches,proteins,andotherorganiccompoundsare
oxidized,producingcarbondioxide,water,energy,andcompoundsresistanttofurther
decomposition(Page5ofTheScienceofComposting:Chapter1).Thoseareproductsofa
chemicalreactionandalsorepresentahealthycompostsystem.Ourcompostingsystemmaynot
bethefanciestbutitgetsthejobdone,andyoucanbuildyourowntumblingcomposterathome.
Compostingisntanythingnewbutitisbecomingmorepopular,andcouldgiveusthechanceto
helpsaveourplanetfromthedestructionwerealreadycausing.

Project
Assessment

ProjectComponents:

IndividualDesignDescription
Includes
Two sections, The Problem and The Design Description
Physicalmodel
createdeitherbygrouporindividual.Imageanddesign
isuploadedintoindividualreport
ConceptualFlowDiagramModel
grouporindividualimageuploaded
intoreport
ManagementPlan

OrganicChemistryContentChecklist:
Part 1: The
Problem includes in your own words
the food waste problem in your own words
Explain the relevance of space, methane as a GHG the the
potential value
How your system is going to recover value and why.
Why did you select a composting/anaerobic digestion
system vs. a composting/anaerobic digestion system?
Part 2: The Design Description includes
An explanation of the specific design choices that were made
to control
each
chemical variable in the system
For example:We decided to .so that our system
would.
The design description predicts the types of chemical
reactions that will occur (anaerobic vs aerobic)

StandardsRubric

Exemplary

Meeting

Developing

Beginning

Organic
Chemist
ry
Content

Containsallofthecriteria
describedinthechecklist,
addressingevery
variablesinthesystem

Containsallbuttwoof
thecriteriadescribedin
thechecklist.Maybe
missingoneimportant
variables.

Ismissingmorethan
twoofthecriteria
describedinthe
checklist.Ismissing
moremorethanone
variable.

Haslessthan
halfofthe
criteriadescribed
ontheorganic
chemistry
consentchecklist
above.

Developi

Studentscandevelopor

Studentscandevelop

Studentsattemptto

Studentsattempt

organicchemistry
consentchecklist
above.

ngand
using
models
to
understa
ndand
solve
problem
s

applymodelstopredict
relationshipsbetween
variablesusing
sophisticatedscientific
terminology.

Theexplanation
demonstratesanadvanced
understandingofthe
scientificideas,principles
andtheoriesused.

orapplymodelsto
predictrelationships
betweenvariables
usingcorrectand
appropriatescientific
terminology.The
explanation
demonstratesan
understandingofthe
scientificideas,
principlesand
theoriesused.

developorapply
modelstopredict
relationships
betweenvariables.
Theexplanation
demonstratesa
basicunderstanding
ofthescientific
ideas,principles
andtheoriesused.

todevelopor
applymodelsto
predictandshow
relationships
betweenwith
limitedsuccess.

Scientifi
c
commun
icat
ionand
Writing

Communicationis
clearlyfocusedleading
toawelldefinedgoal
orpurpose.Scientific
communication
supportsthepurpose
withconcise,logical
detailsthatmeetthe
readersneeds,thatis
arrangedinaformat
thatiseffectivewith
textand/orgraphics
thatareappropriate.

Communicationis
focusedleadingtoa
definedgoalor
purpose.
Communication
supportsthepurpose
withlogicaldetails
thatmeetthereaders
needs.
Communicationis
arrangedinaformat
thatiseffective,with
textand/orgraphics
thatareappropriate.

Communication
leadstoagoal.
Communication
supportsthe
purposewith
details.
Communicationis
arrangedwithtext
and/orgraphics.
Somewords
conveythe
intendedmessage.

Studentattempts
tocommunicate
isfocused
leadingtoa
definedgoalor
purposewith
littletono
evidence.