Title: The Effect of Water Temperature on Plant Height

Name: Chase Mead

Class: Botany-Biology
Hour: 6th hour
Date:

Statement of the Problem: The question we were trying to find out was how water
temperature affects plant height.

Hypothesis: If we altered the water temperature to be warm (above 70 degrees) then the
Spinach plants we planted will grow taller than the plants we grew with the 50 degree water.

Materials:
1. (8) 2x8s
2. Screws
3. Rope
4. Fertilizer
5. Soil
6. T-I calculator
7. Soil temperature stick
8. Soil temperature adapter
9. Light Intensity reader
10. Light Intensity adapter
11. Clipboard
12. Pencil/pen
13. Ruler
14. Greenhouse
15. Hose
16. Paper
17. Spinach seeds
18. Watering bucket

Procedure: We started this experiment on Nov. 2nd by planting the seeds in the soil and
fertilizer in the 5 by 8 feet boxs that we built before we started. From that day on we separated
into groups of 9 once each week. To give everyone a chance to be outside and collect data, we
had one group outside for half the day then the other for the other half. The people who stayed
inside would calculate the data into averages. The people who went outside brought rulers with
them to measure plant height and calculators and adapters on them so you can put the gadgets on
to find out the soil temperature. We also had light intensity readers. We had rulers to measure the
length of the plants in millimeters. We did this process for 26 days Nov. 2nd Nov. 28th until we
had all the data we needed.

Conclusions:

I have concluded that my hypothesis was not correct. On

the week of November 7 the control groups average height was 72.68mm and the
experimental average was 70.51mm which was not enough to make a good
accusation. So the next week of Nov. 14th the experimental average was around
92.15mm and the control was 87.28mm. The next week of Nov. 21 the first
noticeable change occurred. Instead of having just a 2-5mm difference we saw a
14mm difference with the control average at 132.09mm and the experimental
average at 118.59mm. From then on the gap between the two grew to 37mm. On
the week of Nov. 28 the experimental average slowed down in growth rate and grew
to 148.06mm while the control average grew to 185.71mm. This proved my
hypothesis wrong.
th

The plant height for the control group was a lot more consistent and each box
section than the experimental groups box section height. The experimental height
data was kind of scattered and inconsistent.
The effect on water temperature on soil temperature was the most consistent
and close together data I have. They started less than 1 degree Celsius on the week
of Nov. 2nd. Then for the week of Nov. 7th and the Nov. 14th they stayed only decimals
apart at 15 degrees Celsius. Then the week of Nov. 21 st it drop to the control
average at 11.3 degrees Celsius and the experimental at 10.73 degrees Celsius and
the week of Nov. 28th the control average was 10 degrees Celsius and the
experimental average was 9.9 degrees Celsius. The sudden drop from Nov. 14 th to
Nov. 21st is from the outside temperature dropping.
The effect of water temperature on light intensity was the most scattered. On
Nov. 2nd the control average was 34265.6 lux and the experimental average was
25412.5 lux, which was 900 lux apart. The next week of Nov. 7 th the control average
was 26205 lux and 30375 lux for the experimental average. The next week the
control (33575) and experimental (23500) was farthest apart at 1000 lux. The week
of Nov. 21st, the control average was 25275 lux and the experimental average was
28750 lux. This last week of Nov. 28th the lux for both dropped. The control average
was 20375 lux and the experimental average was 16625 lux.
The effect of water temperature on relative humidity of the first week of Nov. 2 nd
was very close to the same. The control average was at 35.6% and the
experimental average was at 34.25%. During Week two, the numbers went two
separate ways. The control average dropped a little to 33.87% and the experimental
average rose to 58.63%. Nov. 14th the control average rose to 55.55 and the
experimental average rose to 65.75%. Then on the week of Nov. 21 st they both
dropped with control average at 46.25% and the experimental average at 52%.
Then the last week of Nov. 28th the control average skyrocketed to 74.37% and the
experimental average rose to 82.37%.

During this project I have learned how to format a graph and specify it to fit my
data. This will help me in my career in business.
Possible errors: not right measurement, temperature outside, typos in graphs, ect.

(Accept or reject your hypothesis and EXPLAIN why USING DATA. Include a summary of the
data - averages, highest, lowest. List one thing you learned and describe how it applies to a reallife situation. Discuss possible errors that could have occurred in the collection of the data)