Environmental Impact of Computers 22

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ACTIVITY OVERVIEW V EST IGA

Students learn about the mateirals contained in a computer and the waste produced
from manufacturing the selected components to help prepare to make a decision in
the final activity about purchasing computers.

KEY CONCEPTS AND PROCESS SKILLS

(with correlation to NSE 5–8 Content Standards)
1. Technological solutions have intended benefits and unintended consequences.
Some consequences can be predicted, other cannot. (Tech: 2)
2. Mathematics can be used to ask questions; to gather, organize, and present data;
and to structure explanations. (Inquiry: 1)
4. Human activities, such as resource acquisition, manufacturing, and waste
disposal, can cause hazards to people and the environment. (Perspectives: 3)

KEY VOCABULARY
hazardous waste
recycle, recyclablility

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Activity 22 • Environmental Impact of Computers

MATERIALS AND ADVANCE PREPARATION

For the teacher
1 Transparency 22.1, “Components of a Desktop Computer”
transparency of Student Sheet 22.1, “Pie-Chart Template” (optional)
* overhead projector
* chart paper
* markers
1 Scoring Guide: ORGANIZING DATA (OD)

For each pair of students

* 1 set of colored pencils

For each student

* graph paper OR Student Sheet 22.1, “Pie-Chart Template”
1 Science Skills Student Sheet 3a and 3b, “Bar Graphing Checklist”
1 copy of Scoring Guide: ORGANIZING DATA (OD) (optional)

*Not supplied in kit

Masters for Science Skills Student Sheets 3a and 3b, “Bar Graphing Checklist” are in
Teacher Resources II: Diverse Learners. Masters for Scoring Guides are in Teacher
Resources III: Assessment.

If possible, have computer components, such as a monitor, circuit board, and memory
chip, available to show to students in Teaching Suggestion 2.

If you would like student groups to construct their pie charts and bar graphs on chart
paper to display in the classroom, have chart paper and markers on hand. Collect col-
ored pencils if you wish students to use them to construct their pie charts.

TEACHING SUMMARY
Getting Started
1. Introduce the computer-selection scenario.

Doing the Activity

2. (OD ASSESSMENT) Students make a pie chart or graph to illustrate data about the
composition of computer components and potential environmental harm from
computer manufacturing.

Follow-Up
3. The class discusses the composition and environmental effects of computer
manufacturing.

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 Environmental Impact of Computers • Activity 22

REFERENCES
Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation (MCC). 1996. Electronics
Industry Environmental Roadmap. Austin, TX: MCC. Retrieved December 2006 from
www.epa.gov/region02/r3/problem.htm.

Ryan, J.C. and A.T. Durning, A.T. 1997. Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things. Seat-
tle: Northwest Environment Watch.

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Activity 22 • Environmental Impact of Computers

TEACHING SUGGESTIONS
GETTING STARTED
1. Introduce the computer-selection scenario.
To probe students’ current understanding of the
materials that compose a computer, ask them,
What parts make up a desktop computer? List their
responses on the board. The components include: a
monitor that contains a cathode ray tube or a liquid
crystal display; a motherboard holding a circuit
board, silicon chips, and processors; and other
peripherals, such as an internal modem, disk drive,
keyboard, and mouse. If students are not familiar
with these parts or the role they play in the work-
ings of a computer, review with them Transparency
22.1, “Components of a Desktop Computer.” Iden-
tify the name and function of each part. In subse-
quent activities students will investigate the
manufacture of a single component, the circuit
board, and the waste produced as it is made.
Pose the question, What materials are computers
made of? Students are likely to identify glass, plas-
tic, and metal, as these are the three types of mate-
rials they so far have considered in the unit. After
pointing this out, ask, What parts of a computer do
you think are made from glass? From metal? From
plastic? Why do you think that this specific material
was chosen for this part? Students may say that
glass computer screens are made of glass and plas-
tic because they are transparent. Plastic houses the
computer because it is a cheap but strong material
that can be formed into a specified shape. Metal is
in wires and other parts that conduct electricity.
Stress again that each of these materials has unique
properties that make it ideal for its function in cer-
tain computer parts.
Then ask, What material do you think is most abun-
dant in a computer by weight? Students’ ideas might
include glass, plastic, and metal. Point out the infor-
mation in Table 1, “Materials in a Typical Desktop
Computer,” in the Student Book, and read the intro-
duction and Challenge with the class. Explain to
students that they will be working for the remain-
der of the unit to increase their understanding of
the materials in computers. This will give them the
background knowledge they will need in the last
activity when they will make an informed decision
about which computers to buy for a school.
Ask students, If you were going to buy a computer,
what factors would you consider in making your
decision? Have students first discuss this with their
partners and then share their thoughts with the
class. Consider listing students’ responses on chart
paper and displaying them in the classroom, or on
the chalkboard. Likely responses include the cost of
the computer, processing speed, amount of mem-
ory, appearance, ease of use, and programs
included in the computer package. If students do
not mention considering the environmental impact
of computers as a factor, suggest that this is some-
thing they might consider. Most likely they will not
be accustomed to incorporating this information
when making consumer choices, nor will they know
how to obtain that information.
Explain to students that in the final activity Activy
29, “The Green Computer Decision,” they will make
a choice about computers that will incorporate a
consideration of the environmental effects of the
chemistry involved in the life cycle of the computer.
To prepare for making this decision, they will
increase their understanding of the materials used
to produce a computer.
DOING THE ACTIVIT Y
2. (OD ASSESSMENT) Students make a pie chart
or graph to illustrate data about the
composition of computer components and
the potential environmental harm of
computer manufacturing.
Today‘s computers come in many shapes and sizes.
The information in Table 1, “Materials in a Desktop
Computer,” is based on a desktop computer weigh-
ing about 25 kg (60 lbs). Point out that these num-
bers would vary depending on the weight and
model of the computer. In Procedure Step 3, stu-
dents work either on constructing a pie chart of the
data in Table 1 or graphing the data in Table 2,
“Waste Products from Manufacturing Selected
Computer Components.”

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For those students constructing the pie chart of the
data in Table 2, you may wish to hand out Student
Sheet 22.1, “Pie-Chart Template.” The pie-chart
template is divided into 10 equal wedges with solid
lines. Each wedge would represent 1/10th or 10% of
the whole computer. Each 10% wedge is divided in
two by a dashed line forming 5% wedges. Provide
students with Science Skills Student Sheet 3a and
3b, “Bar Graphing Checklist,” to help in the con-
struction of their bar or line graphs. Note for stu-
dents that there are a number of ways to represent
the information. Encourage them to try sketching
different ways. Students may come up with more
than one way to represent the data; what is impor-
tant is their reasoning for choosing the representa-
tion.
Consider asking one or two pairs of students to con-
struct an additional pie chart on chart paper to be
displayed in the classroom for future reference. A
sample pie chart and line graph are shown below.
This activity provides an opportunity to apply the
ORGANIZING DATA (OD) Scoring Guide to assess stu-
dents’ ability to construct a graph or pie chart. Let
students know that you will be assessing their work
with this assessment tool, and that they should
refer to the ORGANIZING DATA Scoring Guide to help
Sample Student Graphs
Materials in a Typical Computer
Other 2%
Iron
Zinc 2%
compounds
20%
Lead
6%
Glass
Copper
24%
7%
Aluminum
14%
Plastic
25%
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Environmental Impact of Computers • Activity 22
them construct their bar graphs. If it is available on
a school or home computer, you may choose to sug-
gest that students use a graphing program, such as
Microsoft Excel, to show the data.
FOLLOW-UP
3. The class discusses the environmental
effects of computer manufacturing.
Hold a class discussion about how different kinds of
graphs can elucidate specific pieces of data. Ask,
What information do the graphs show about com-
puter manufacturing? For Table 1, “Materials in a
Typical Desktop Computer,” students will say that
glass, iron compounds, and plastic are the top three
materials in a computer by weight. For Table 2,
“Waste Products from Manufacturing Selected
Computer Components,” students are likely to
respond that the computer chip weighs the least,
but its production generates the most waste. The cir-
cuit board manufacturing process produces the
most hazardous waste, a process students will inves-
tigate in more detail in later activities.
Analysis Question 1 requires students to extract
information directly from the data tables in the
Student Book.
Waste From Manufacturing Computer Components
40
Key
35 Product weight
Non-hazardous waste
30
Hazardous waste
Kilograms (kg)
25
20
15
10
5
0
Computer chip Circuit board Monitor
Component
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Activity 22 • Environmental Impact of Computers

Analysis Question 2 takes students’ understanding
of the data one step further by asking them to con-
sider conclusions that can be drawn from the data.
Analysis Question 2 encourages students to think
about how the information shown might be viewed
from the perspective of materials chemists who
want to reduce the environmental impact of the
computer manufacturing process. Be sure students
understand that according to the information pro-
vided in Tables 1 and 2 in the Student Book, certain
components have a lower environmental impact (in
terms of less waste generated and low amounts of
hazardous waste produced), while others clearly
3. Based on your answer to Analysis Question 2, what
involve the production of more hazardous waste
from materials that may, however, be recyclable.
Table 2, “Waste From Manufacturing Computer
Components”
• Of the computer parts shown, the monitor
weighs the most.
• The monitor weighs the most, but the manu-
facture of it produces the least amount of
waste.
• By percentage, the circuit board produces
the most waste compared to its overall
weight, and also the highest percentage of
hazardous waste.
two statements do you think are the most important
to discuss with the manufacturers? Explain why they
are the most important.

SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
1. What are the top three materials by weight in a
computer?
The top three materials by weight in a computer
are plastic, iron compounds, and glass.
2. You are a materials scientist asked to
present the information in Tables 1 and 2
to a group of computer manufacturers who want to
reduce the effect of the computer life cycle on the
environment. What information from your data
would help them? Make a list of statements summa-
rizing the information your graphs and charts show.
Answers that summarize and synthesize the
data include:
Students’ answers will vary. What is key here is
that the answers they choose show that they
considered their audience, a group of manufac-
turers who want to reduce the environmental
impact of computer production. Correct answers
should incorporate information from the two
tables that highlights areas of computer manu-
facturing that are highly detrimental to the
environment (i.e., the amount of hazardous
waste produced when manufacturing a circuit
board) and areas in which the environmental
impact is low (i.e., the amount of hazardous
waste generated per kg of waste produced for
the computer chip).

Table 1, “Materials in a Typical Computer”

• Plastic makes up the greatest percentage of
all materials in a computer by weight.
• Iron compounds and aluminum can be recy-
cled more than any other materials in a com-
puter.
• The material that can be recycled the most is
not the material that makes up the greatest
percentage of the computer.
• The elements in the computer, iron, alu-
minum, copper, and zinc, can be recycled at
higher percentages than the compounds
glass and plastic.

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 ©2007 The Regents of the University of California

Random Access Memory Video card

RAM

CD/DVD drive

Issues and Physical Science • Transparency 22.1

Circuit board

Central
processing Motherboard
unit (CPU) Monitor
Components of a Desktop Computer

Keyboard Mouse
Hard drive Power source

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 Name Date

Pie-Chart Template

Title:
©2007 The Regents of the University of California

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Issues and Physical Science • Student Sheet 22.1 B-123