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 PlantHeightLeavesStemFlowerRoots

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 , 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