| Explore | We learned that certain cells in plants can absorb a lot more water than other cells through osmosis. We also learned that parenchyma cells in celery absorb a lot of water. |
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| Research Question | What celery width makes the celery most bendy? We chose to determine the curliness of the celery by the width because we thought that the skinnier the celery width, the curlier the celery and we wanted to test it. The question helps us determine how cells work through osmosis and how bending is caused. |
| Predictions | If testing which width of celery causes the celery to become the curliest, then the celery with the smallest width will be the curliest. We believe that if the width is small, then more room will be given for the celery to curl up. |
| Experimental Design | We will first cut the celery into 3 equal length parts. Then we will cut the 3 parts into half, making sure that the width after being cut is different in size for all the pieces of celery using the ruler. We will then put the 3 cups into the drinking glasses along with 2 tbsps of salt being added to each cup. Then the celery will be added to the cups for 24 hours in the fridge for results. The control variables are the length of the celery, the amount of water in the cup with the celery, and the amount of salt in the cup with the celery. The independent variable is the width of the celery. The dependent variable is the curliness of the celery. We will record our data by the curliness of the celery. |
| Conclusion | Claim: The celery that was 1/4 inch wide was the curliest. Evidence: Before being put in salt water, all three cut pieces were stiff and weren't curly at all. After being in the water for 24 hours, the celery in cup 1 had the smallest width and was the curliest. The celery in cup 2 and 3 both ended up curling to 1 inch. Reasoning: The celery with the smallest width became the curliest because having the smallest width allowed it to be less naturally stiff than the other pieces of celery. The smallest width also aloud more space too curl. |
| Investigation Theme | CEL |
| Grade Level | High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12) |
| School Name | Ottawa Township High School |
| Session | Fall 2020 |