1. If we add copper to a plant, then the plant will grow more rapidly than a plant with just water.
Procedure
Cut 2 plastic bottles in to two pieces about 9 cm under the cap of each bottle. Fill the top part of the bottles with 50 mg of perlite, then fill the rest of the way with soil. Put three soy bean seeds partially into the soil. Take the cap of each bottle, cut a small hole, and put a wick through that hole. Screw the caps back onto each bottle. Take the bottom of one bottle and fill it with 300 ml of water, then put the top of the bottle into the water with the wick facing down. Take the other bottom bottle, and fill it with 10 ml of copper nitrate and 290 ml of water. Then put the top of the bottle that is left into the bottom with the copper nitrate mixed with water. Leave under light and check on it daily.
Conclusion
Over the three weeks that we did our experiment, we discovered that the plant with the RODI water had a more sufficient growth than the copper infused water. The plant with the copper did not grow much at all, however the plant with RODI water grew plenty over 12 centimeters. Our petrie dish showed how the copper plant should have grown, if not for the copper added into the water.
Observation
We used a wick to get water to the plant, and a bottle to house the plants. We put three soybean seeds into soil and perlite. Throughout the entire experiment, the plant with the copper water did not change much at all. The plant with the RODI water, when we observed it, went from 0cm to 9cm to 13cm. In the end the copper plant wilted, and the normal plant died from taking in too much water then did not have any left to intake.
First we decided to see what nutrients affected plant growth. Then we had to think of something more narrow. So we looked up a more specific topic, one that is involved in the plant growth. We ended up getting copper, and rolled off of that. Then we had to think of where we would get the cooper from. So we used copper nitrate.
Without copper compared to with copper.
Our set up in the beginning.
From left to right (control, experimental, Cu (NO3)2)
By John T, Peter B, Aaron I, August M.
Group name Lions