Plant Hydration Experiment
Water
Bean plants grow best with a healthy amount of water daily. In this experiment, it will be determined if different drinks will also hydrate a bean plant sufficiently. Soda, Orange Juice, Sweet Tea, and kool-aid will be tested. A control group will also be done using only water.
Hypothesis:
The hypothesis is that if the amount of water in a drink decreases, then the speed at which the plant grows, if at all, will also decrease. This is because plants natural source of hydration is water.
Experiment:
1. Set up a table with even lighting across it, and in a room where the temperature will remain relatively stable. Place 5 small cups containing potting soil, each labeled with one of the following. Soda, Orange Juice, Sweet Tea, Kool-aid, and water.
2. Place one bean seed about an inch under the soil in each cup.
3. Every day water each cup with 60ml of its corresponding liquid, and record height.
4.After 7 days observe and graph observations.
Results:
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7
Plant height:inches
Soda: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
OJ: 0 0 0 .02 .03 .04 .05
Sweet Tea: 0 .10 .15 .20 .25 .30 .35
Kool-Aid: 0 .25 .5 .75 1.0 1.25 1.5
Water: 0 .5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
Conclusion:
Plants will in fact grow with a hydration source other than water, although as was evidenced by the data, the amount of water in a given liquid has a lot to do with whether or not the plant will grow, as well as the speed at which it grows.