| Explore | From the radish seed experiment, we learned that the three requirements for germination are water, oxygen, and the right temperature to germinate. Nothing else is truly needed which is shown in our data. The plants that were given liquid fertilizer actually didn’t grow at all. On day zero, all of the ten seedlings were 0 cm. On the 7th day all of the ten seedlings remained 0 cm. We gave the seedlings 20 ml of liquid fertilizer, which is more than what should have been given. One major strength that we had in our radish seed experiment was that the constants between the control and experimental group were actually the same. For example, each group received 20 ml of water every time that the seedlings were watered. We also made sure that the seedlings were right next to each other so both the control group and the experimental group received the same amount of light. One area that could have been improved was adding less fertilizer to the experimental group. Too much fertilizer was added to the seedlings, causing them to drown and the seedlings to never germinate. The seed is the embryonic stage of the plant life cycle. Seeds consist of three parts which are the embryo, endosperm, and seed coat. The embryo is a very minuscule plant that has a root, stem, and at least one leaf. The endosperm is the nutritive tissue of the seed and is usually a mixture of starch, oil, and protein. The seed coat is a protective covering that can help seeds remain sustainable for longer amounts of time. Seeds are technically dormant but their cells are actually still alive. Seeds are the byproduct of flowers and they can even be encased in fruits. Germination is the beginning growth of a seed into a seedling. All seeds need water, oxygen and the right temperature to germinate. The independent variable for our experiment is the type of light. We used 10 Buckwheat seedlings and placed them by natural light which was provided by the open windows. We placed a box dividing the control group from the experimental group which was the seedlings which received the white lamp light. We chose this specific independent variable for our experiment because we were curious to see how different kinds of light could change how tall a plant would grow. Common Name: Buckwheat Scientific Name: Fagopyrum esculentum Fun facts: Buckwheat is not related to wheat is also gluten-free Buckwheat is mainly harvested in the northern hemisphere Buckwheat honey is a popular product and is known for its deep and nutty flavor Buckwheat can grow on infertility and is relatively well suited for round land Buckwheat cultivation is thought to have begun over 4000 years ago |
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| Research Question | Research Questions: The length of the Buckweed with the lamp light. The purpose of our experiment is to find the difference between the length of the buckwheat plant with natural sun lights versus a lamp light. We chose this independent variable because we wanted to see the difference it would make between a plant being grown outdoors versus indoors with only artificial light. Since germination is the growth of the seedling we wanted to see earn how different types of light would affect the length of the plant. |
| Predictions | If the type of light is changed, then the buckwheat seedlings that receive white lamp light will have greater length than the buckwheat seedlings that receive natural light over time. |
| Experimental Design | CG: plants grown with sunlight EG: plants grown with lamp light IV: type of light DV: length of buckwheat seedlings Constants: buckwheat plant, amount of water, same temperature applied onto plant SS: 10 Trials: 1 |
| Conclusion | The buckwheat seedlings that received the white lamp light had a greater length than the seedlings that only received natural light in general. On only day 3, the buckwheat seedling that received natural light and grew the most had a length of 9.83 cm. The buckwheat seedling that received the white lamp light and grew the most had a length of 11.89 cm on day 3. This a significant difference considering that most of the seedlings getting white lamp light had grown a lot more in length. On day 20, many of the seedlings that received white lamp light had grown over 20 cm whereas none of the buckwheat seedlings that had only received natural light had grown over 20 cm. B) These results show how using white lamp light on buckwheat seedlings allows them to grow more in length than seedlings that receive only natural light. In order for a seed to germinate it must receive water, proper growing conditions and oxygen. Though light isn’t strictly necessary for germination, light is a vital aspect in determining how the initial sprout will grow. The lamp light was actually much closer to the experimental group seedlings than the control group seedlings as the sun is very far away from Earth. One question we have is if using a different color light would impact the results. The reason I feel like the buckwheat seedlings that received the lamp light grew more was that the lamp light was more concentrated on the seedlings. The light was directly above the seedlings. In the control group the sun itself is not hovering over the seedlings impacting the light concentration on the plants. C) Two strengths of our experiment were ensuring that our experimental group and control group had only one variable changing. We made sure to water the seedlings 30 ml per pot which allowed the constants to stay consistent throughout. Another strength was that our experiment was set up in a very organized manner. The control group didn’t receive any lamp light and the experimental group didn’t receive natural light. We used a box to separate the seedlings so that the different lights would only be shining on their own group of seedlings. D) One area for improvement was that we could have done a better job making sure that the white lamp light was only shining at the same time as the day time hours. The time the sunsets everyday is different so for the most accurate results we could have kept this in mind. In the future, we could reset the timer at the end of every class period for the new day and change it accordingly. Another area of improvement is that when the data was being collected we could have been more gentle with the buckwheat seedlings. The seedlings on many occasions almost ripped apart when we were collecting data and this would have sabotaged the entire experiment. In the future, the seedlings can be handled with more care when data is being collected. |
| Investigation Theme | WOS |
| Grade Level | High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12) |
| Teacher Name | Amy Inselberger |
| School Name | Adlai E. Stevenson High School |
| Session | Fall 2021 |