Air pollution measurement

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/air-pollution-measurement

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What tools did scientists use to measure air pollution in the past?Scientists used simple tools like rain gauges to collect acid rain, Ringelmann charts to measure how dark smoke was, and deposit gauges to catch dust and soot that fell to the ground.
2. How do modern sensors measure air pollution?Today, sensors use science tricks such as spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and mass spectrometry to spot and count tiny gas particles and dust in the air almost instantly.

Particulate Matter (PM): Microscopic solid or liquid particles suspended in the air, categorized by size (e.g., PM2.5, PM10).
Air Quality Index (AQI): A standardized index that communicates air pollution levels to the public in an easily understandable format.