Explore |
We know that plants are used in our everyday life. They are used in medicine, food, architecture, decorations, and essential to the air we breathe. We have discovered that plants reproduce and use a system titled "photosynthesis" to feed itself while gaining water and air from the environment. Some questions that interest us are the following: Why are plants shaped the way they are? Do all plants take the same time to grow? How can we tell what type of plant a seed will become? |
Research Question |
What type of lights and environment contribute to a healthy growth of a seed/plant? |
Predictions |
Sunlight seems to be the best answer here, but there are definitely modifications that can be made with technology to give more nutrients and much more efficient light than what we already know. |
Experimental Design |
First, prepare three groups of 5 alfalfa seeds. Prepare three pots with 1/2 cup of dry soil. Place the seeds inside the pots. During the germination process, all variables will be kept the same until they start growing. For each pot, you will water the seeds with 1 cup of water. Water the plants once every 3 days all at the same time. Repeat this process until the very last plant shows growth. When you see the last plant with growing effects, record the height of each plant and record it as day 0. Prepare the different light settings. Use the following light settings: dark (minimal light), sunlight, and indoor light (varies on which type of light you have). Once in the indoor and dark settings, make sure you never alter the environment including temperature and humidity. For the sunlight setting, you can look at it as natural and leave it be. Google the sunrise and sunset times in order to give a fair time period for the plants receiving light. Continue to water the plants once per 3 days with one cup of water. Measure height with a ruler and the time/date every everyday for 3 weeks. At the end of a 3 week observation, get your final measurement and compare the data. |
Investigation Theme |
WOS |
Grade Level |
High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12) |
School Name |
California Academy of Mathematics and Science |
Session |
Fall 2020 |