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Botany Science Fair Project

Does Salt or Sugar Affect Plant Growth?

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Does Salt or Sugar Affect Plant Growth? | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
We're going to find out if salt or sugar can help or hurt plants when added to water. We'll measure the growth of alfalfa seeds in plain water, salt water, and sugar water to see which one works best.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that plain water will sprout seeds better than either salt or sugar solutions.

Method & Materials

You will measure the mass of alfalfa seeds, put them in paper towels, and stand them in plain, salt, and sugar water. You will let them sit for a week and then measure the mass of the sprouts.
You will need 45 grams of alfalfa seeds, 6 11x11 paper towels, 3 identical glasses, 750 ml. of water, 15 grams of salt, 15 grams of sugar, and a scale.

Results

The results showed that plain water worked the best to sprout seeds. The sugar water worked better than the salt water, but not as good as the plain water. The seeds that were in the salt water didn't sprout at all. This experiment shows that salt and sugar can be harmful to plants.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it shows how salt and sugar can be harmful to plants.

Also Consider

Variations to consider include using different amounts of salt and sugar, using different substances in the water, and using a different product to wrap the seeds in.

Full project details

You can find additional information and details for this science fair project here. Have fun exploring!

Related video

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