The Germination Lab:

Light Lab and Salt Lab, Outlines, Qualitative and

Quantitative Observations, Conclusions

By: Paul B, 8W

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 Table of Contents

Light Lab Title Page………………………………………………………………………………………………….3

Light Lab Outline……………………………………………………………………………………………………..4
Controls…………………………………………………………………………………………………………4
Tested Variable………………………………………………………………………………………………4
Procedure………………………………………………………………………………………………………4
Hypothesis…………………………………………………………………………………………………….5
Supplies and Materials Used………………………………………………………………………….5
Light Lab Observations…………………………………………………………………………………………….6
Light Lab Graph……………………………………………………………………………………………………..13
Light Lab Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………..14
Result Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………………….14
Final Statement and Recommendations………………………………………………………15

Salt Lab Title Page………………………………………………………………………………………………….16

Salt Lab Outline……………………………………………………………………………………………………..17
Controls……………………………………………………………………………………………………….17
Tested Variable……………………………………………………………………………………………17
Procedure……………………………………………………………………………………………………17
Hypothesis…………………………………………………………………………………………………..18
Supplies and Materials Used……………………………………………………………………….18
Salt Lab Observations…………………………………………………………………………………………….19
Salt Lab Graph……………………………………………………………………………………………………….26
Salt Lab Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………..27
Result Analysis…………………………………………………………………………………………….27
Final Statement and Recommendations………………………………………………………28

Picture Sources………………………………………………………………………………………………………29

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~Do Not Print~

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 Light Lab Outline

Does the amount or kind of light affect Lentil plant germination?

Controls

1. Container Size/Shape: Styrofoam Cup, can hold 180 mL

2. Amount of Soil: ⅝ to ¾ of Styrofoam Cup (113 - 135 mL)
3. Classroom Climate: Room Temperature in mornings and afternoons (excluding
weekends), colder in evenings; Low Humidity/Dry Air
4. Plant Type: Brown Lentil (1 mL/50 seeds in each cup)
5. Planting Depth: Seeds were patted down 3 to 10 mm under the soil
6. Water and Soil Moisture: Watered (with tap water) until soil could not absorb any
more (average of 20 mm of water each time)
7. Soil Type: Black Loam Potting Soil
8. Time Between Each Watering: 19-24 hours (unless otherwise stated), two-day
break in between Friday and Monday; plants watered between 9:00 a.m. to 4:00
p.m.

Tested Variable

The type of light used is different for each plant. The light-types are as following:

- Natural Sunlight (Plant was put behind window, sunlight came through from the
south-southeast)
- Maximum Fluorescent (Fluorescent lamps were directly overhead of plant)
- Combination/Mixed Light (Plant was put on counter located closer to the
windows rather than the fluorescent lamps)
- No Light (Plant was put in 3rd cabinet from the window on the bottom ledge)

Procedure

1. Place desirable amount of soil (listed above) in 4 separate Styrofoam Cups.

2. Label cups with light type and group members.
3. Scoop 1 mL of seeds for each cup and place, pat down if needed.
4. Water the plants until desired moisture is reached.

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 5. Record height, take notes on plant growth and water plants every following day.

Hypothesis

The different kinds of lights used will most certainly yield distinct results for each plant.
My hypothesis is this:

The sunlight plants will do the best out of all and be the healthiest.
The fluorescent plants will do the 2nd best, but not grow better than the sunlight
plants.
The combination light plants will do the 3rd best, grow shorter and bend towards the
windows.
The plant with no light will be the shortest, grow the slowest and die earlier than the
other plants.

Supplies and Materials Used

- Brown Lentil seeds

- Black Loam Potting Soil
- Styrofoam Cups
- Measuring Cylinders
- 30 cm ruler
- Various scoops
- Tap water

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 Day 1

November 28

Natural Sunlight

Height: 4 mm

Health: Good

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Maximum Fluorescent

Height: 25 mm

Health: Good

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Combination

Height: 10 mm

Health: Good

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

No Light

Height: 30 mm

Health: Fine

Colour: White Stems, Pale-Green Leaves

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Phototropism: No

Day 2

November 29

Natural Sunlight

Height: 6 mm

Health: Good

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Maximum Fluorescent

Height: 52 mm

Health: Good

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Combination

Height: 47 mm

Health: Good

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

No Light

Height: 58 mm

Health: Fine

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Colour: White Stems, Yellow-Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Day 3

November 30

Natural Sunlight

Height: 14 mm

Health: Good

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Maximum Fluorescent

Height: 90 mm

Health: Excellent

Colour: Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

Combination

Height: 83 mm

Health: Excellent

Colour: Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

No Light

Height: 75 mm

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Health: Inadequate

Colour: White Stems, Yellow-Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Day 4

December 1

Natural Sunlight

Height: 45 mm

Health: Good

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Maximum Fluorescent

Height: 132 mm

Health: Excellent

Colour: Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

Combination

Height: 116 mm

Health: Excellent

Colour: Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

No Light

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Height: 157 mm

Health: Poor

Colour: White Stems, Yellow Leaves

Phototropism: No

Day 5

December 2

Natural Sunlight

Height: 54 mm

Health: Excellent

Colour: Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

Maximum Fluorescent

Height: 148 mm

Health: Good

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

Combination

Height: 140 mm

Health: Good

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

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No Light

Height: 178 mm

Health: Poor

Colour: Yellow-White Stems, Yellow Leaves

Phototropism: No

Day 6

December 5

Natural Sunlight

Height: 131 mm

Health: Excellent

Colour: Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

Maximum Fluorescent

Height: 183 mm

Health: Fine

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Combination

Height: 202 mm

Health: Fine

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

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Phototropism: Yes

No Light

Height: 282 mm

Health: Dying

Colour: Yellow-White Stems, Dark-Yellow Leaves

Phototropism: No

Day 7

December 7

Natural Sunlight

Height: 148 mm

Health: Good

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

Maximum Fluorescent

Height: 198 mm

Health: Fine

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Combination

Height: 205 mm

Health: Fine

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Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

No Light (Dead)

Height: 285 mm

Health: Dead

Colour: Yellow-White Stems, Dark-Yellow Leaves

Phototropism: No

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~Do Not Print~

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 Light Lab Conclusion

Result Analysis

The natural sunlight plant started out the weakest (in terms of height) out of all four
plants, it only reached 14 mm of height on day 3 while other plants were reaching
heights of 75, 83 and 90 mm. After that day, growth significantly increased and its
height started getting into the ranges of the other plants. There are two reasons why
this slower growth could be happening:
1. In the beginning the plant was considerably below the rim of the cup and not
enough light had been reaching it, this caused a slight insufficiency of energy
during the first 3-4 days.
2. The plant knows that it has an adequate source of energy being obtained
through photosynthesis, so rather trying to sprout as fast as possible, it
strengthens its stems and increases leaf size using its chlorophyll.
Reason #2 is more probable to be correct because the plant did not show many signs
of having trouble growing (telling by the colour of leaves).

The plant with no light grew the fastest out of all of the plants. It started growing the
quickest and continued doing so for day 3-6. In the final days of observations, the plant
completely ceased germination because its food (chlorophyll) was all used up and
more could not have been produced through photosynthesis because of absence of
light. The plant grew so fast because it put as many resources as possible into
reaching a sufficient energy source (in contrast to the natural sunlight plant).

The combination light plant did the best overall, it grew the second tallest by the end
and was mostly green too. The plant started off growing slower than the maximum
fluorescent plant, but proved to be a worthy competitor as its growth spiked on day 2-
5 and caught up to the height of the maximum fluorescent plant. The increase of the
combination plant’s growth started when the phototropism became apparent.

The maximum fluorescent light plant had the second fastest growth in the beginning,
exceeding roughly 2x its previous height on the third day. Then germination fell behind,
as over a three-day period (Dec 2 - Dec 4) the plant grew an average of only 17
millimetres every day.

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Final Statement and Recommendations

My opinions of which plants grew the best is ordered in this way:

1. Natural Sunlight (Very good colour, strong stems)

2. Maximum Fluorescent (Did not bend much, good colour)
3. Combination (Adequate colour and good height)
4. No Light (Very tall but overall not healthy)

In conclusion, my hypothesis matched the order I have written above. My no light

prediction was slightly off, but the rest was right. I think I had plenty of good data for
the light lab, satisfactory notes, and a vivid image of how the plants looked like when I
recorded them. One thing that would have been better is if I would have been able to
measure the height of the plants on December 6 so my graphs would have been more
complete and accurate.

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 The Salt Lab
Salt Lab Outline

Does the salt content of water affect Lentil plant germination?

Controls

1. Container Size/Shape: Styrofoam Cup, can hold 180 mL

2. Amount of Soil: ⅝ to ¾ of Styrofoam Cup (113 - 135 mL)
3. Classroom Climate: Room Temperature in mornings and afternoons (excluding
weekends), colder in evenings; Low Humidity/Dry Air
4. Plant Type: Brown Lentil (1 mL/50 seeds in each cup)
5. Planting Depth: Seeds were patted down 3 to 10 mm under the soil
6. Water and Soil Moisture: Watered (with tap water or salt-water) until soil could
not absorb any more (average of 20 mm of water each time)
7. Soil Type: Black Loam Potting Soil
8. Time Between Each Watering: 19-24 hours (unless otherwise stated), two-day
break in between Friday and Monday; plants watered between 9:00 a.m. to 4:00
p.m.
9. Type of Light: Maximum Fluorescent; all plants were placed in close proximity.

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Tested Variable

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 Day 1

November 28

Solution B (High Salt Content)

Height: 6 mm

Health: Fine

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Solution C (Medium Salt Content)

Height: 21 mm

Health: Fine

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Solution A (Low Salt Content)

Height: 25 mm

Health: Fine

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

No Salt

Height: 18 mm

Health: Good

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

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Phototropism: No

Day 2

November 30

Solution B (High Salt Content)

Height: 15 mm

Health: Fine

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Solution C (Medium Salt Content)

Height: 57 mm

Health: Fine

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Solution A (Low Salt Content)

Height: 65 mm

Health: Good

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

No Salt

Height: 71 mm

Health: Good

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Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Day 3

December 1

Solution B (High Salt Content)

Height: 28 mm

Health: Fine

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Solution C (Medium Salt Content)

Height: 69 mm

Health: Fine

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Solution A (Low Salt Content)

Height: 104 mm

Health: Good

Colour: Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

No Salt

Height: 110 mm

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Health: Excellent

Colour: Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

Day 4

December 2

Solution B (High Salt Content)

Height: 45 mm

Health: Inadequate

Colour: White Stems, Pale-Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Solution C (Medium Salt Content)

Height: 116 mm

Health: Inadequate

Colour: White Stems, Pale-Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

Solution A (Low Salt Content)

Height: 146 mm

Health: Good

Colour: Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

No Salt

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Height: 144 mm

Health: Excellent

Colour: Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

Day 5

December 5

Solution B (High Salt Content)

Height: 62 mm

Health: Inadequate

Colour: White Stems, Pale-Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Solution C (Medium Salt Content)

Height: 186 mm

Health: Inadequate

Colour: White Stems, Pale-Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

Solution A (Low Salt Content)

Height: 200 mm

Health: Fine

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

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No Salt

Height: 206 mm

Health: Good

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

Day 6

December 7

Solution B (High Salt Content)

Height: 69 mm

Health: Inadequate

Colour: White Stems, Pale-Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

Solution C (Medium Salt Content)

Height: 194 mm

Health: Inadequate

Colour: White Stems, Pale-Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Solution A (Low Salt Content)

Height: 208 mm

Health: Inadequate

Colour: White Stems, Pale-Green Leaves

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Phototropism: No

No Salt

Height: 213 mm

Health: Fine

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Day 7

December 8

Solution B (High Salt Content)

Height: 90 mm

Health: Inadequate

Colour: White Stems, Pale-Green Leaves

Phototropism: Yes

Solution C (Medium Salt Content)

Height: 204 mm

Health: Inadequate

Colour: White Stems, Pale-Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

Solution A (Low Salt Content)

Height: 211 mm

Health: Inadequate

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Colour: White Stems, Pale-Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

No Salt

Height: 220 mm

Health: Fine

Colour: Light-Green Stems, Green Leaves

Phototropism: No

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~Do Not Print~

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 Salt Lab Conclusion

Result Analysis

The high salt content plant grew the worst and in the end of observations, less than
half of the height that the other plants had. Although the plant did not droop or bend as
much as others, its colour was noticeably worse the whole time. The plant in the
beginning had heights that were only a third of the medium salt content plant’s height.

The medium salt content plant didn’t have much of a difference in height in the
beginning (compared to the low salt content plant), but then differences emerged on
day 4-6, but then ceased. Overall, the plant did very good for the amount of salt
concentration it had, in contrast to the high salt content plant which grew very bad.

The low salt content plant was close to being identical to the no salt content plant,
there were only differences of 2 mm-15 mm at most between the two. Even though
heights were remarkably close, there were some dissimilarities. The low salt content
plant did worse for some of the observations, and started drooping more and faster
than the no salt content plant.

The no salt content plant was almost identical to the maximum fluorescent light plant in
my light lab, with similar colours and health reported. Unsurprisingly, the no salt
content plant grew the best in the salt lab.

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Final Statement and Recommendations

My hypothesis pretty much matched my results, except for a couple of things I

mentioned. My prediction for the high salt content plant was underestimated, it grew
much better than I expected and did not die within the two weeks. Like the light lab, it
would have been better if my observations remained consistent and no days were
missed, otherwise my data and notes were satisfactory.

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 Picture Sources

Light Lab:
http://www.miketrask.com/10679b-sunlight-light-quick-shopping (Sunlight Photo)

http://vinovinotx.com/?entry_id=1336 (Fluorescent Light Photo)

https://thesacredprofession.com/2012/09/06/ms-bissos-classroom/ (Combination
Light Photo)

http://gardening.stackexchange.com/questions/4326/what-is-this-allegedly-mosquito-
repellent-trailing-plant-with-dark-green-heart (No Light Plant Photo)

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