| Explore | What we know about plants: -They reproduce by growing seeds/ vegetables or fruits. -Theyŕe living/alive -They can control when they start to germinate -They need the right temperature, environment, and some water to germinate. Things we would like to find or learn more about -If different seeds germinate quicker than others -What seed is best for this experiment -If seeds affect what temperature is right for them to germinate |
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| Research Question | How does the amount of wind on a plant affect the speed of germination on a plant? -How does the type of liquid affect the speed of germination on a plant? Our chosen Question is “How does the amount of wind on a plant affect the speed of germination on a plant? |
| Predictions | If I add more wind to one plant, then it will grow quicker than a plant with less exposure to wind. |
| Experimental Design | Variables: Independent Variable = Amount of wind Dependent Variable = The speed of germination Variables to Control = Type of plant, amount of seeds, amount of water, layers of paper towels. Materials: -Two layers of wet paper towel in a petri dish Times 8 -forty corn kernels -small fan -water -Water (as needed) -timers Procedure: Lay out eight open petri dishes, and layer two paper towels in each. Wet paper towel with 2 mL of water. Lay five kernels of corn in each petri dish. Put a fan 3 centimeters away from two petri dishes that are side by side, and put it at high speed. Put a fan 3 cm away from another two petri dishes right next to each other, 3 feet apart from the other petri dishes, and put it at medium speed. Repeat step 6 again but with the fan at low speed. Leave two petri dishes without a fan for a control. Wet kernels and towel with 10 mL of water (Do NOT move kernels from their place) every day. When the first seed opens, record the amount of time it took (record by days). wait for the other seeds to break, and record your information in the same way. Compare numbers. |
| Conclusion | Claim:Seeds can not germinate in a continuous flow of wind energy. Evidence:We continued this experiment for 5 days, and in conclusion, the wind dries up any water available. Zero germinated any of the days that we tested, not even the control. We upped the level of water every time we visited it, getting up to 10 mL of water, and still the seeds (including the controlled seeds) dried out. I believe that the seeds did not germinate because the flow of wind was constant, there was nothing protecting the seeds, and the flow of wind was colder, changing the temperature to a non-optimal state. Reasoning: Wind can either help or harm a seed/plant. If the wind is warm and soft, it provides more carbon dioxide to the plant, and also spreads seeds for reproduction. However, if the winds are cold, icy, or harsh, the seed/plant will dry out, and have no other way to provide water for photosynthesis. This test was a fair test, however, the results were not what I expected. I assumed that the seeds would have germinated as we added more water, but still, the wind dried the water that was provided for the seeds. Other questions I am curious to explore are about how the amount of water affects the plant’s germination. |