| Explore | We know that seeds don't need light since they're in soil. They grow under the ground in the right conditions of warmth and moisture. When they sprout that's when they use photosynthesis, photosynthesis is how they get their energy. But, some plants prefer shade over light. In elementary school, we planted plants. |
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| Research Question | How does the water temperature affect the speed of seeds germinating/growing? |
| Predictions | warm water will make the seed germinate the fastest |
| Experimental Design | First, we get the seeds and put five of each in six petri dishes. Then we give each petri dish an equal amount of water, each get either cold, room temperature, or warm water every day. Next, we wait for the seeds to germinate. We will take note on how long it takes for them to sprout and what type of water they were given. The cold water will be in the fridge, room temperature in a room, and warm water under a heating lamp. |
| Conclusion | The temperature of the water a plant is given does not affect how fast it germinates. As the graph and the data table show, all three experiments had a average seed growth around 3.5 inches. When compared to each other, the growth of the three seed groups are relatively the same. I suspect that this was the result because of the small variation in the temperatures of the water groups. Additionally, mustard seeds may not care about the temperature of the water it is given compared to other plants which have grown accustomed to specific water temperatures. This challenges my hypothesis that the given water temperature does affect growth, and I believe that if the temperatures were spaced farther apart then the data would show a different trend. I believe that this was a fair test because the sources of error were minimal but I also think that the data would have been more accurate if the temperature of the water was more extreme. |
| Investigation Theme | WOS |
| Teacher Name | Evelyn Gray |
| School Name | DeWitt Middle School |
| Session | Spring 2023 |
| About this Project | This team had great communication with their mentors and kept a good attitude even when confused by the findings -- they definitely made me chuckle a few times. -- Jessica Szetela, Scientist Liaison |