| Explore | According to the University of California, Santa Barbara Science Line, colors closer to purple light offer the most energy because their light rays are the shortest, while colors closer to red offer the least amount of energy. According to Konica Minolta Sensing, the color of the plant itself is the result of green light rays reflected back meaning that it would not absorb the green light. Light, however, also affects different parts of plant growth, for example, blue encourages leaf growth whereas purple promotes flowering. Surrounding the plant with light colors promotes increased growth as opposed to dark colors. Another factor is how much light specific species need, some plants respond better to lower light intensity rather than high intensity. Studies have found that Brassica rapa specifically responded best to purple blue and white light and responded negatively to red light. |
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| Research Question | The research is attempting to answer the question of how different light waves affect plant growth and germination in brassica rapa. This experiment studies how brassica rapa behaves and germinates under different conditions and hopes to find the most ideal light source for plant growth. |
| Predictions | The experiment hopes to prove that plant growth will increase significantly when exposed to short light rays as opposed to when it is exposed to long light rays. |
| Experimental Design | In the experiment, four plants are grown in the same set of conditions. The large deli container will have water at the base and a wick will feed the water up to the plant which is planted in a smaller deli container resting on top. Each will be covered in a different color film (control, Red, blue, and green). The film will be attached to a frame that surrounds the plant. The frame will be modified as the plant grows. Each day the plant's growth and germination will be monitored by measuring the leaf size, plant height, color, number of leaves, and dry mass in the tables below. |
| Investigation Theme | WOS |
| Grade Level | High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12) |
| Teacher Name | Ken Bateman |
| School Name | Wellesley Senior High School |
| Session | Spring 2023 |