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Does Colored Light Affect Seed Growth?
by Paul I.
* Hypothesis * Abstract * Materials * Procedure * Results * Conclusion * Bibliography & Links * 
 
Hypothesis 
HYPOTHESIS 

  My hypothesis is that white light will help plants grow faster. I guessed  white light, because I thought that white light was the closest light to the sun. 
 

Abstract 

Purpose:  

  Does Colored Light affect seed growth? 
 I chose this question, because I did not know a whole lot about the experiment. 
My guess was that white light would help plants grow faster.  I thought that the white light, compared to red and blue light, was the closest light source, that I was using, to sunlight, which has a light spectrum. 

Procedure: 
  
 First, I put beans in each of the three pots with soil in each.  Second, I put all three pots down in my basement with three different bulbs. Third, I put labels with the words of the three colors with star stickers. Fourth, I put each of the pots in a bucket, so all the light is trapped inside. Next, I decided to put water in the pots every day that the soil turned into rocks. Sixth, I took pictures every four days. Seventh, I measured the plants every four days too. Finally, I wrote the results of my experiment on a graph on a computer. 

Conclusion: 
  
 The results were that the plants under the white light grew the tallest, the plants under the   red light grew in the middle, and the plant under the blue light grew the shortest. The reason why the white light helped the plant grow the fastest, was because the white light is a combination of all the lights in the light spectrum, which helps plants grow faster. 

Materials   

1) Three 8 cm. high pots. 
2) Five bean seeds in each pot with 6 cm. of soil. 
3) Three buckets. 
4) A string of three Christmas outdoor light bulbs, strung across the buckets.     The colors will be blue, red, and white. 
5) 125 ml. of Water. 
6) Photographs. 
7) A result chart.

Procedure   

1) Put 5 Beans, 2 cm. below surface in each 8 cm. high pot with 6 cm. of soil in each.  

2) Each plant will be placed in the basement with one of the three different bulbs hanging  above it. 
3) Each plant will be labeled with the words blue, red, white, using blue, red, and silver  star stickers on the pots. 
4) The three buckets will be around the plants, so there is no other light coming  through. 
5) Every two days I will water each plant with 125 ml. of water. 
6) Every four days I will take pictures of all three plants. 
7) Every four days I will measure each plant with a centimeter ruler, and record the  measurements. 
8) I will write my results as a graph, on the computer.

Results   
Conclusion 

 First I put 5 bean seeds in all 3 pots with soil. The only problem was that I followed my procedure and I drowned the seeds to death. While the plants were dying I grew some more plants by sprouting the seeds in the dark while they were covered by paper towels. When the seeds were big enough, I planted them in the pots using less water. On the graph and chart, the first day that was greater than 0 was the height of the second group of plants when I placed them in the pots.  
 My results showed that plants that grow with white light grew best. Plants growing with red light grow in the middle value. Plants growing under blue light grew least. I think it is strange, interesting, and odd that once they sprouted, all of the plants grew at least a little bit.  
  I think that the reason why the results happened the way they did was that white light is just like the sun. White light and the sun light are a combination of several colors. 
Also, as my research showed, white light is necessary for plants to grow. So, my hypothesis was right because white light does help plants grow faster.
Bibliography & Links   

Black,David, and Anthony Huxley.  "Plants," The World Of Science. NewYork,  NewYork: Orbs Publishing Limited , 1985. 

Gramet, Charles.  Light and Sight.  Toronto: Abelard-Schuman Company, 1963. 

Janulewicz, Mike.  Plants.  Toronto: Gloucester Press, 1984.  

"Light Reaction, Location of Light Reaction."î  The Gale Encyclopedia of Science.   Volume 5    1996. 

"Photosynthesis."î Encyclopedia of Science. Volume 7    1996. 

"Photosynthesis."î The New Book of Popular Science. Volume 4    1996. 

"Photosynthesis."î Science and Invention Encyclopedia. Volume 5    1987. 

"Sight and Light, Newton and the Spectrum, The Miracle of Sunlight."î    Sight, Light And Color, An Illustrated Encyclopedia.  3rd ed.   1984. 

Taylor, Kim.  Flying Start Science, Light.   Toronto: John Wiley and Sons, Inc, 1996. 

Detroit, Gale Encyclopedia of Science, 1996 ed. 
Mike Janulewiz, Plants. (new York: Gloucestor Press, 1984) 
 ibid. 

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These are my plants!

 Paul I.
Timber Ridge Magnet School