Date: 1 July 2003 (Tuesday)

Experiment: 5.1
Aim: To show that living things use oxygen during
respiration.

Identifying the problem:

Do living things use oxygen during respiration?
Hypothesis:
Living things use oxygen during respiration.
Constant variable:
The air in the test tube.
Manipulated variable:
The presence of living things.
Responding variable:
The position of the indicator in the test tube.

Diagram:

Figure 5.14
Procedure:
1. The apparatus is set up as shown in Figure
5.14.
2. The three test tubes are made sure that in a
horizontal position.
3. The position of the indicator is marked with
a marker pen at the beginning of the
experiment.
4. The apparatus is kept in a dark cupboard
for three hours.
5. The position of the indicator on each test
tube is observed.
6. A report is written in my science report
book.
Observation:
1. The indicators for the test tubes containing
living things move towards the test tubes.
2. The indicator does not move for the test
tube that does not contain any living thing.

Interpreting the result/discussion

1. Living things take in oxygen and give out
carbon dioxide during respiration.

2. The carbon dioxide given out is absorbed

by the cotton soaked with sodium hydroxide
solution.

3. As the content of oxygen in the test tube

becomes lower, the air pressure inside the
test tube becomes lower than the air
pressure outside the test tube.

4. The air pressure outside the test tube

pushes the indicator towards the test tube.

5. The indicator for the test tube not

containing any living thing does not move.
 6. This is because the air pressure outside the
test tube is the same as the air pressure
inside the test tube.

7. The test tube that does not contain any

living thing acts as a control experiment.

Conclusion:
1. Living things use oxygen during respiration.
The hypothesis is accepted.