PURPOSE
The purpose of this experiment was to see in which soil temperature
(32°c, 18°c or 5°c) more seeds will sprout.
I became interested in this idea when I was reading through a science
book on topics.
The information gained from this experiment could be used to help farmers
or people who grow plants to determine if soil temperature affects the
growth of plants.
HYPOTHESIS
My hypothesis is that the plant with the soil temperature normal will
sprout faster then the plant with the soil temperature higher and lower.
I base my hypothesis on Encarta 2000, which says extreme cold, or heat
will make the plant not be able to germinate. I also based it on
my mom as a plant grower she said that when she put plants next to a heater
they needed more water more often then the other plants in the house and
if the plant did not have the extra water the would start to die.
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EXPERIMENT DESIGN
The constants in this study were:
The same kind of plant.
The same sizes and shape of the pots.
The same amount of dirt in each pot.
The same amount of water given to each plant.
The same amount of water given to each plant every two days.
The same amount of sunlight given to each plant.
The same amount of seeds.
The manipulated variable was the temperature of the soil.
The responding variable was which plant sprouts first.
To measure the responding variable I counted each seed that sprouted
though the soil.
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MATERIALS
| QUANTITY |
ITEM DESCRIPTION |
| 6 |
Flower Pots |
| 6 |
Seeds |
| 1 |
Bag of Potting Soil |
| 1 |
Heating Source |
| 4 |
Tlbs. of Water to each plant every two days |
| 1 |
Pair of Scissors |
| 1 |
Thermometer |
PROCEDURES
1. Gather Materials.
2. Take Scissors and cut open bag of potting soil.
3. Put 3/4 cup of potting soil in pots
4. Put seeds in pot.
5. Put 1/4cup of potting soil over seeds
6. Label one pot A.
7. Label one pot B.
8. Label one pot C.
9. Label one pot D.
10. Label one pot E
11. Label one pot F
12. Place pot A over heating source.
13. Place pot B over heating source.
14. Place pot C over no heating source.
15. Place pot D over no heating source.
16. Place pot E in cold source
17. Place pot F on cold source.
18. Check plant growth A-F every morning at 6:45 a.m. or around there.
19. Check plant growth A-F every night at 6:45 p.m. or around there
and take temperature.
20. Water plants every two days.
21. When plants sprout record data.
22. Experimentations done.
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RESULTS
The original purpose of this experiment was to see in which soil temperature
(32°c, 18°c or 5°c) more seeds will sprout.
The results of the experiment were that A and B sprouted faster then
the other four by one day.
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CONCLUSION
My hypothesis was that the plant with the soil temperature normal would
sprout faster then the plant with the soil temperature higher and lower.
The results indicate that this hypothesis should be rejected.
Do to seeds A & B sprouting faster then my hypothesis which was plants
C and D.
Because of the results of this experiment, I wonder if more heat was
to be added to plant A and B if they would still sprout faster then the
others.
If I were to conduct this project again I would have used many more
plants than just two in each category. Also I would have waited tell
the plant reach a growth of five inches. So I could see if some plants
died off after sprouting.
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| RESEARCH REPORT
INTRODUCTION
Have you ever put a plant by heater and the plant died or you
put a plant in the garage in winter and it never sprouted? Have you
ever wondered which temperature a plant grows best in?
This experiment is to find out in which plants grow best.
This report contains information on Seed Germination, Seed Dormancy,
Root (botany) and Stems and Leaves.
Seed Germination
Germination dose not take place unless the seed is in a good environment
the main keys for growing a plant are adequate water and oxygen and also
sunlight. Different kinds of plant germinate at different temperatures.
Some plants require more sunlight to germinate then others. During
germination, water diffuses though the seed coats into the embryo, which
has been almost completely dry during the period of dormancy. With
the absorption of oxygen by the seed, energy is made available for growth.
From the time of germination until the plant is completely independent
of food stored in the seed, the plant is known as a seedling.
Seed Dormancy
Seed Dormancy is when a seed has fallen form the parent plant before
they are able to germinate. Lack of viability of seed is often confused
with seed dormancy. Many seeds require a so-called resting period
after the have fallen from there parent plant. In some plants, chemical
changes take place during the resting period that make the seed ready for
germination. Still other seeds have extremely tough seed coats that
must soften or decay before water and oxygen can enter the seed to take
part in the growth of the embryo, or before the growing embryo is capable
of bursting through the seed coat.
Root (botany)
The first root of the plant, known as the radicle, elongates during
germination of the seed and forms the primary root. Roots that branch from
the primary root are called secondary roots. In many plants the primary
root is known as a taproot because it is much larger than secondary roots
and penetrates deeper into the soil. Some plants having taproots cannot
be transplanted easily, for breaking the taproot may result in the loss
of most of the root system and cause the death of the plant.
Stems and Leaves
Stems usually are above ground, grow upward, and bear leaves,
which are attached in a regular pattern at nodes along the stem.
The portions of the stem between nodes are called internodes. Growing
plants give rise to new leaves, which surround and protect the stem tip,
before they expand. Stems are more variable in external appearance
and internal structure than roots, but they also consist of three tissue
systems and have several features in common.
Leaves are the primary photosynthetic organs of most plants.
They usually are flattened blades that consist, internally, mostly of parenchyma
tissue called the mesophyll, which is made up of loosely arranged cells
with spaces between them. The spaces are filled with air, from which
the cells absorb carbon dioxide and into they expel oxygen. The leaf
blade is connected to the stem though a narrowed portion called the petiole,
or stalk, which consists mostly of vascular tissue.
SUMMARY
This report explained about seed germination. The term seed germination
is applied to the resumption of the growth of the seed embryo after the
period of dormancy. This report also talks about seed dormancy, which
is when a seed has fallen form the parent plant before they are able to
germinate. This report also talks about root (botany). Which
tells about the roots of the plants. This report also talks about stems
and leaves. Stems are usually above ground, grow upward and bear leaves.
Leaves are primary photosynthetic organs of most plants.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Germination", Encarta 1998. CD-ROM. 1998
"Seed Germination", Encarta 1999. CD-ROM. 1999
"Germination", Encarta 2000. CD-ROM. 2000
"Root (Botany)", Encarta 2000. CD-ROM. 2000
"Stems", Encarta 2000. CD-ROM. 2000
"Leaves", Encarta 2000. CD-ROM. 2000
Keating Richard C., "Germination", The World Book Encyclopedia. 1998,
173
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