OPEN ENDED INVESTIGATION- 2019

NAME: SUNAINA BAKSHI

TEACHER: MS O’CONNOR
CLASS: 10 SCIENCE M
Scientific Report

Title-
The effect of PH level of solution on the sprouting of mung beans
Aim-
To investigate how solutions with different pH levels affect the height of mung bean
sprouts to determine which pH level is ideal for the growth of mung bean sprouts
Background Information/ Research-
My research for this experiment was primarily based on investigating and reading
through the research done into this experiment before me as well as gaining
information on how to conduct the experiment to produce the best possible results. I
started by researching about Ph and its effects on the growth of mung beans. My
research helped me decide which type of seed to use. It was found that mung beans
are the most common beans which are used for growing sprouts as they grow in half
the amount of time as compared to other beans. Also, mung beans were easily
available to me as they are a native crop of India and are used commonly in the
preparation of Indian dishes. Thus, I concluded that mung beans would be optimal
for this experiment. Research was also conducted into Ph levels to find out which Ph
level would be optimal for the growth of mung beans. Through my research, I learnt
that Ph refers to potential hydrogen or the concentration of H+ ions in a solution. The
Ph scale which is used to test the acidity or alkalinity(basic) of a solution. The Ph
scale is a logarithmic scale which ranges from 0-14 with 0 being the most acidic and
14 being the most basic. After researching many websites, it was found that most
plants, including mung beans, thrive best in a pH of 6.5-7. Having this information,
helped me to decide which solutions to use in order to get a range of different
results. Research was also conducted to ensure that I was using the right type of
equipment to test the pH levels of the solutions. My research helped me conclude
that the pH strips were a better choice for this experiment as compared to litmus
paper as they measured the pH level of solutions as opposed to using the litmus
paper test which just determines whether a solution is acidic, basic or neutral. Lastly,
research was also conducted into the science of how acids, bases or neutral liquids
affect the germination of mung beans. It was found that acidic solutions such as with
a Ph lower than 4, are corrosive and can burn through the seeds, preventing them
from germinating/sprouting at all, and thus the seeds might eventually die. Also,
alkaline solutions such as ammonium hydroxide will eventually discolour the seeds
and burn them as like an acid, bases are corrosive in nature as well. Finally, it was
concluded that distilled water is optimum for the growth of mung beans as it has a
pH level of 7 which make it neutral and thus, it provides the best conditions for mung
beans to germinate. This research was very beneficial for my hypothesis as it helped
me make a prediction based on valid scientific grounds. Through my research, I also
found out that my experiment has a lot of relevance in real life. Finding the optimal
pH for mung beans or beans in general would help farmers grow their crops more
efficiently to produce the best yield. This test would also allow people to sprout mung
beans with less worry of them dying (not sprouting) due to the incorrect pH level of
the water these beans were soaked in.
Hypothesis-
It is predicted that Ph 7 (neutral) distilled water would result in the tallest sprouted
mung beans. This is based off my research from the Australian Water Association
website which states that the process of distillation removes all the harmful minerals
and chemicals from water are unsuitable for plant growth, thus making it the best
form of water required for sprouting mung bean plants. On the other hand, acidic
solutions such as vinegar and lemon juice, both with a Ph lower than 4, are corrosive
agents and can burn through the seeds, preventing them from germinating/sprouting
at all, and thus the seeds might eventually die. Alkaline solutions such as ammonium
hydroxide will eventually discolour the seeds and burn them as like an acid, bases
are corrosive in nature. Thus, it can be predicted that distilled water (Ph 7) would
result in the tallest sprouted mung beans.

Risk Assessment-
Risk
Acids and Bases are
corrosive in nature and
may cause burns on the
skin if the acid spills and
irritation if it gets into your
eyes.
Level of Risk How risk will be reduced
Wear covered clothing and
High safety glasses whilst
pouring the acids.
Ensure that you wash your
hands after conducting the
experiment.

Damage to digestion from
ingesting chemicals such
as ammonium hydroxide
Avoid drinking or
High swallowing any chemicals
and also do not consume
the mung bean seeds used
in the experiment as they
might also contain that
harmful chemical

Equipment/Apparatus-
- 15 x mung bean seeds
- 1 x laboratory thermometer
- 1 x measuring mug (labelled with millilitre measurements)
- 1 x metric ruler (labelled centimetre measurements)
- 1 x Ph litmus paper set (80 strips)
- 5 x plastic bowls
- 50ml orange juice
- 50ml rainwater
- 50ml distilled water
- 50ml window cleaner solution
- 50ml washing detergent solution
Method-
a) Variables:
1. Controlled Variables- The temperature of the solutions, the type of mung bean
seeds, the amount of solution in each bowl, the amount of time the mung
bean seeds are soaked in the solutions
2. Independent Variable- The Ph level of the solution
3. Dependent Variable- The growth (height) of the sprouted mung bean seeds
4. Control- The mung beans seeds soaked in distilled water (Ph 7- neutral)

b) Steps:

1. Label five plastic bowls as- Orange juice, rainwater, Distilled water, Window
cleaner solution and washing detergent solution, respectively
2. Add 50 ml (controlled variable) of the respective solution into each of the bowl
using a measuring mug or cylinder. Make sure this amount remains constant
throughout the experiment, by adding more of the respective solution.
3. Measure the temperature of all the solutions using a laboratory thermometer.
Ensure that a temperature of 20 degree Celsius is maintained across all the 5
bowls (controlled variable). This can be achieved by either heating or cooling
the liquids accordingly.
4. Measure the Ph level of each of the liquids using a different Ph strip for each
solution. Use the chart below as a reference. Aim to achieve approximately
the same pH level as mentioned in the table below

Solution Ph level of the

solution
Orange juice 2
Rainwater 5
Distilled water 7
Window cleaner 9
solution
Washing detergent 12 Source:
solution https://www.modernsoapmaking.com/how-to-
ph-test-handmade-soap/

5. Take 15 mung bean seeds of the same brand (controlled variable), and soak
3 mung bean seeds into each of the bowls
(N.B. More than one sample size (3 seeds) have been used for each bowl to
ensure that the results that will be obtained, won’t just be accidental)
6. Ensure that the bowls are kept in the same climatic conditions i.e. light,
temperature, wind etc (controlled variables)
7. Keep the solutions untouched.
8. Measure the height of the sprouts using a thread and a cm ruler. Record your
results in the tables below.
 Week 1
Ph level of Height of the sprouts (in cm) Average height of
solution sprouts (in cm)
Seed 1 Seed 2 Seed 3

Week 2
Ph level of Height of the sprouts (in mm) Average height of
solution sprouts (in cm)
Seed 1 Seed 2 Seed 3

Week 3 (final result)

Ph level of Height of the sprouts (in mm) Average height of

solution sprouts (in cm)
Seed 1 Seed 2 Seed 3

Results-
Tables:
Week 1
Ph level of Height of the sprouts (in cm) Average height of
solution sprouts (in cm)
Seed 1 Seed 2 Seed 3
2 0.1cm 0.1cm 0.1cm 0.1cm
5 1.1cm 1.25cm 0.8cm 1.05cm
7 1.5cm 1.3cm 1.4cm 1.4cm
9 0.1cm 0.3cm 0.25cm 0.22cm
12 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm
Week 2

Ph level of Height of the sprouts (in cm) Average height of

solution sprouts (in cm)
Seed 1 Seed 2 Seed 3
2 0.1cm 0.1cm 0.1cm 0.1cm
5 1.3cm 1.3cm 1.0cm 1.2cm
7 2cm 2.03cm 1.9cm 1.98cm
9 0.15cm 0.32cm 0.3cm 0.26cm
12 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm

Week 3 (Final result which has been graphed- graph 2)

Ph level of Height of the sprouts (in cm) Average height of

solution sprouts (in cm)
Seed 1 Seed 2 Seed 3
2 0.1cm 0.1cm 0.1cm 0.1cm
5 1.5cm 1.45cm 1.25cm 1.4cm
7 2.5cm 2.85cm 2.3cm 2.55cm
9 0.16cm 0.35cm 0.32cm 0.28cm
12 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm

Graphs:-
 pH 2
Effect of pH level of solution on the height of mung beans over time pH 5
pH 7
3 pH 9
Height of mung bean sprouts over time (cm) pH
12
2.5

1.5

0.5

0
1 2 3

Graph 1

Graph 2

Time (Weeks)

Time (weeks)
Time (Weeks)

Discussion-
Trend- The results obtained in this experiment are consistent with the data and the
background research that was done prior to the experiment and also approved of my
hypothesis. The trend, as seen through the graphs suggests that mung bean seeds
soaked in a solution with a pH level less than 4 are more likely to experience little to
no growth ( below 1 cm) as the solutions are highly acidic and can burn through the
seeds, eventually leading to the seeds dying. Seeds soaked in solutions with a pH
level of 5-6 are likely to experience some growth. However, it can be seen through
the data that a pH level of 7(neutral) would be ideal for the growth of these seeds as
it would provide them with the essential conditions to survive. Lastly, solutions with a
pH more than 7 are highly unlikely to result in the growth of mung bean seeds as
basic solutions will burn through the seeds and would discolour them. Also, the data
obtained in the table shows that the growth for all 3 seeds soaked in a solution of a
certain pH level is mostly the same and related to the hypothesis/ prediction
Inconsistencies/ improvements to the method- Whilst observing the results of my
experiment, I found that although the results were fairly consistent, there were some
outliers in the growth of the mung bean seeds in the same pH level. One of the
examples of this, was the growth of the three mung bean seeds soaked in pH 9. At
the end of the three-week growth period, those three mung bean seeds recorded
growth of 0.16, 0.35 and 0.32 respectively. Testing only three seeds could potentially
have been a source of error in my experiment. To solve that, I could’ve tested a
larger number of bean seeds in order to get a better result which would potentially
balance the outlier (0.16) that I observed in my result. Other improvements to the
method include, testing a larger variety of pH levels, so that a more specific pH could
have been chosen to be ideal for the growth of mung beans. Beans could have also
been grown for a longer period of time to test how different pH levels can affect them
in the long run. Future experimentation could be conducted into growing different
kinds of bean seeds to find the optimal pH for growing beans in general.
Real life applications- This investigation is significant to scientific understanding and
society as it holds a lot of relevance in real life. For example, finding the optimal pH
for mung beans or beans in general would help farmers grow their crops more
efficiently to produce the best yield. This test would also allow people to sprout mung
beans with less worry of them dying (not sprouting) due to the incorrect pH level of
the water these beans were soaked in.
Assessment of reliability, validity and accuracy for my experiment-
Reliability- This experiment was mostly reliable as a good enough sample size (3
seeds in each bowl) were used which ensured that the results obtained were not
accidental as they were roughly the same. The average results were also calculated
to show the typical trend in the results obtained rather than just one result. However,
some outliers such as the one mentioned above could have been ignored and the
reliability of the results could have been improved by testing a larger sample size
than 3 seeds.
Validity- This experiment was valid as there was a clear independent and dependent
variable. The independent variable was the pH level of the solution. The dependent
variable was the growth (height) of the mung bean sprout. This experiment was fair
because the independent variable i.e. the pH level of the solution was changed
which affected the growth of the mung bean sprouts ( dependent variable), whilst all
other variables, such as, the temperature of the solutions, the type of mung bean
seeds, the amount of solution in each bowl, the amount of time the mung bean
seeds are soaked in the solutions, were all kept the same ( controlled variables).
Accuracy- This experiment was mostly accurate as most of the equipment used was
correct and the technique was also correct. For example, the laboratory thermometer
gave an accurate measurement as it was calibrated and even small changes in
temperature could be measured. However, other equipment such as the litmus paper
used could have been analysed wrong. To solve this, I should have allowed the
litmus paper to have fully dried and put more thought into what the matching pH level
is. Also, another equipment such as a digital pH meter could have been used, in
order to get more specific and precise pH readings which are more accurate as
compared to using a pH litmus paper test.
Conclusion-
In conclusion, based on the results obtained through this experiment, it was found
that different pH levels affect growth in mung bean sprouts differently, and that pH 7
is ideal (best) for the growth of these sprouts. Thus, the hypothesis was proved
correct.
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