Transcript Science Fair Project - USC Upstate: Faculty

Science Fair
Project
Question ??
How does acid rain
effect plant growth?
Hypothesis
Acid rain will
cause plant
growth to be
slowed and
stunted.
Experiment:
Place 4 identical plants in glass pots and place
them in a sunny place. Water two of the plants
with regular tap water and the other two plants
with an acidic solution (water/lemon juice), that
has a pH equal to acid rain (below 5.6). Water
the plants once a day. Use a spray bottle and
spray a mist on the leaves as well. Observe the
plants, their leaves, height, stem, roots, and
flower of each plant. Record your observations
on a chart. Repeat this procedure for 5 to 7
days.
Conclusion:
The data collected will support or not
support the hypothesis. The data will
provide information that will help to
determine the effect of the growth as you
compare the plants watered with regular
tap water and plants watered with the
acidic solution (water/lemon juice). The
suspected outcome is that the plants
being watered with the acidic solution will
not grow as healthy as those being
watered with regular tap water, or they
will die.
Data Table—Day 1
Plant
1
2
3
4
Height Leaves
Stem
Flower Roots
Appropriate Grade Level
This experiment can be modified for any
grade where the standards require the
study of plants and their environments.
This could include grade 3, where the
standards include Habitats and
Adaptations--Explain how changes in the
habitats of plants affect their survival. Acid
rain changes the soil which is part of the
plants habitat.
FLaReS!
Falsifiable
This experiment is falsifiable
and can be done in different
way to see the effects of
acidic solutions on plant
growth.
Logic
This experiment is logical because it takes water,
sunlight, and soil for plants to grow into healthy
plants. Therefore acid rain, with a pH of
approximately 5.5-2.0, will be harmful to plant life
especially since most plants do not like acidic
soil. With more air pollution from automobiles,
acid rain will continue to be a problem for us to
deal with until we find ways to improve our air
quality.
Replicable
This experiment can be
reproduced, so it
would be replicable.
Sufficient
This experiment can produce
significant data with
observations being done on a
daily basis for five to seven
days. It can also be carried
out for longer periods of time if
more data is required.
The
End