AINA BAIXAULI

Design Lab

Title:
The growth of the stem of Phaseolus vulgaris seeds during germination
depending on the addition of different additives of water (salt, sugar, carbonate, pure
water and tap water).

Research question:
How do different water solutions (salt, sugar, carbonate, pure water and tap
water) affect the growth of the stem of Phaseolus vulgaris seeds during germination?

Introduction:
Germination is the process by which a plant grows from a seed. Plants need
biotic factors like for example water, light, nutrients, a substrate to grow in, and often
an optimum temperature. If these are not optimal for a plant, then its ability to grow
can be reduced.

Carbonated water is just distilled water added some carbonation. This process
adds nutrients(http://www.ehow.com/info_12026949_effect-carbonated-water-bean-
plants.html). On the other hand, we will experiment with distilled water, which is the
purified water. It contains no chemicals or salts that may be harmful for the seeds.
(http://www.ehow.com/info_12025788_effects-distilled-purified-water-germination-
seeds.html)

The water used in our taps is full of unknown contents and normally contains
calcium, sodium and chlorine. Plants will have difficulties to grow if there are high
levels of sodium or chlorine but the calcium will increase the nutrition in the seeds.

The other two independent variables are water with salt and water with sugar
(http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/legumes/msg0422463629098.html?8).
Plants need plain water to grow and either salt or sugar will affect the germination.
Seeds dont need salt at all but they need sugar, although it is sugar that they create
AINA BAIXAULI
their own (http://www.cocoponics.co/germination-2/salt-affects-seed-
germination).

Hypothesis:
According to this source (http://www.ehow.com/info_12026949_effect-
carbonated-water-bean-plants.html) the carbonate water process adds nutrients,
which will then help germinate the plant cell stronger, and nutrients will increase their
growth rate with a higher rate. The tap water will also make the seed germinate fast
and long, because it has the calcium that supports the seeds with nutrition and it is the
water we use normally for the plants to grow. The one that will not grow at will be the
salt water because it will dehydrate it or kill the seed as it is said in this source
(http://www.sebiology.org/publications/Bulletin/July05/salinity.html).

Variables:
INDEPENDENT VARIABLES
o Carbonated water PRIMAVERA (25ml)
o Sugar water (5g sugar Hacendado and water FONT VELLA till you have
25ml of solution)
o Salt water (5g salt Hacendado and water FONT VELLA till you have 25ml
of solution)
o Tap water (25ml)
o Distilled water BOSQUE VERDE (25ml)
DEPENDANT VARIABLES
o Length of the bean seeds stem (cm with ,cm of uncertainties)
CONTROL VARIABLES
o Mineral water FONT VELLA (75ml)
o 25 Phaseolus vulgaris seeds
o 15 days
o 5 cups (transparent plastic of 250ml)
o Table in the shade

Materials:
AINA BAIXAULI
75 plastic cups of 250ml
225 Phaseolus vulgaris seeds
Carbonated water PRIMAVERA (25ml) per glass
Sugar water (5g sugar Hacendado and water FONT VELLA till you have 25ml of
solution) per glass
Salt water (5g salt Hacendado and water FONT VELLA till you have 25ml of
solution) per glass
Tap water (25ml) per glass
Distilled water (25ml) per glass
Cotton
Ruler
Measuring cylinder (ml with ,cm of uncertainty)

Method:
Firstly prepare 5 cups for each condition and write with a permanent marker or a
sticker the name of the solution you are going to pour inside. You will end up with 25
cups; 5 cups will have written down carbonated water, 5 will have salt water, another
5 will have sugar water, 5 more will have distilled water and 5 more will have written
down tap water.

The next step is to put 1/4 of cotton in all of the cups and in the cotton insert
partially three white beans seeds (per cup). In the 5 carbonated water cups add 25 ml
of carbonated water, the five salt water cups add 25 ml of the solution prepared
before (5g salt Hacendado and water FONT VELLA till you have 25ml of solution), the
five sugar cups add also the sugar solution (5g sugar Hacendado and water FONT
VELLA till you have 25ml of solution), for the 5 distilled water add 25ml of distilled
water and finally for the tap water cups add 25ml of water taps.

To collect the dependant data, measure each day, during the next 10 days, the
growth of the seeds stem and plot all the data in a table. Repeat the experiment 2
more times.