| Explore | We know about photosynthesis and cellular respiration and it requirements. We know mustard seed needs one cm of water a day and live in climates of 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit, they also require sunlight 6-8 hours a day. We know the different colors of light have different wave lengths which have different amounts of energy and will affect the germination. |
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| Research Question | How does the color of light affect the germination of the seed? We came up with this question because it was something that interested all of us and we know that light helps make plants grow and we were wondering if the type of light will affect how it grows. |
| Predictions | If we use the white light, then the seed will germinate more than the others because white light has shorter wave lengths which has more energy in it so the seed can germinate faster. |
| Experimental Design | 1. Gather materials 2. set up colored lights by plugging in lights (Red, white, blue, green) 3. Wet a paper towel with 5 ml of water and place in an open petri dish 4. place 7-8 mustard seeds in each of the 4 petri dishes 5. repeat 3-4 3 more times 6. Place boxes with tops cut off in a dark room 7. place one colored light with one petri dish in each box (repeat 3 times) 8. Turn the light on at the beginning of the day, and turn it off at the end of the school day 9. wait, watch, and record the length of the radicle in cm every morning |
| Conclusion | Seeds grow best under red and blue light. In our experiment, we put seeds under red, blue, green, and white light. The red grew 2.07cm, the blue grew 1.5cm, the green grew 0.61, and the white did not grow at all. Red light grew the most because red light produces leaves for the plant. Blue light grew a lot because blue light makes chlorophyll for the plants and chlorophyll helps in photosynthesize. Green light did not grow very much because chlorophyll is green so that makes the green light not very effective. Then the white light did not grow at all because UV rays fry plants and we used UV light by accident. Some things we could have changed would be using the same wattage lightbulbs and separating the lights more by putting them in separate boxes. Something that surprised us was the seeds under white did grow or even germinate what so ever. |
| Investigation Theme | WOS |
| Teacher Name | Kristen Stiem |
| School Name | DeWitt Middle School |
| Session | Spring 2022 |