CYSF

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Hypothesis

I think that the plant with natural light will grow, the plant with artificial light might grow, and the plant with no light won’t grow because I know that some plants can adapt to artificial light, plants can’t grow without light, and it’s a plants nature to grow with natural light.

Research

RESEARCH:

Chia seeds need full sun to grow their best. (1)

Chia plants are plants that use photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is how a plant takes sunlight and other things to make oxygen, chlorophyll, and energy. (2)

Knowing this, it makes sense that the chia plant grew best and healthiest in natural light.

Artificial light can grow healthy plants but it needs the proper wavelengths of red and blue light. (3)

The bulbs that were in my downstairs bathroom emitted enough blue and red light to grow a healthy enough chia plant but as time went on, the plant started to show signs of etiolation by growing to the side and not straight up. This proves the plant wasn’t quite getting the proper light that it needed.

Etiolation is the “process in which plants grow long, pale, and unhealthy due to the lack of light.” Etiolated plants don’t have enough energy and this can cause them to die quickly. Plants that don’t receive enough light are pale or white looking because they don’t have enough chlorophyll. Chlorophyll makes a plant look green and is the plant's primary source of energy. Chlorophyll comes during the photosynthesis process. (4)

The chia plant that was grown in darkness showed all of the signs of etiolation - it was long, pale, and very unhealthy. It couldn’t photosynthesize in the dark so it couldn’t produce chlorophyll. It had no green colouring and no energy.

www.thespruce.com/how-to-grow-chia-seeds-5082971
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/photosynthesis
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3949401/
https://gardeningsg.nparks.gov.sg/page-index/plant-problems/etiolation

Variables

Each plant is watered with the same amount (3 teaspoons) of water at the same time each day.

Each plant was planted in 3 cups of the same soil.

The amount and type of light that each plant receives - natural light, artificial light, and no light

If the 7 chia seeds grow or not depending on the light that they receive

Procedure

Plant 7 chia seeds in 3 cups of compost soil. Repeat 3 times. Place one pot in natural light. Place one pot in downstairs bathroom (no windows) with light on, door closed. Pace the last pot under the stairs in the dark storage room (no light, no windows).

Water each plant in the morning with 3 teaspoons of water.

Observe how light or lack of light affects the growth of each plant.

Observations

OBSERVATIONS:

Natural Light Plant

Artificial Light Plant

No Light Plant

Day 1: chia seeds planted and plant placed in a natural light setting

Day 3: a couple little sprouts, about 5 mm in height, look green and healthy

Day 4: a few more sprouts, green and healthy, about a ¼ inch tall

Day 7: 1 inch sprouts, thick stems, very green, nice and healthy, open leaves

Day 18: so many chia sprouts, about 2 inches tall

Day 30: lots of chia plants, about 4 inches tall, very green with thick stems, big and open green leaves

Day 1: chia seeds planted and plant placed in an artificial light setting

Day 8: a couple little sprouts, about 3 mm in height, look green

Day 11: sprouts are just under an inch long, and a healthy green, stems are not as thick as the natural light stalks, open leaves

Day 14: sprouts are 1.5 inches tall, bright green leaves, stems are turning a little less green, a little more white

Day 18: some sprouts have started to fall over, stems don’t seem strong enough to hold them up

Day 30: a few chia plants, about 3 inches tall, a light green colour, sprouts didn’t grow completely up and down - grew more to the sides, leaves open and green

Day 1: chia seeds planted and placed in a no light setting

Day 10: 5 tiny sprouts, 1 mm, very light green - almost white in colour

Day 14: sprouts are about ½ inch, skinny white/brown stems, no opened leaves

Day 21: sprouts are about 2 inches, leaves have opened but are very small, plant is sickly green, stems have gone kinda see through

Day 30: not very many chia sprouts, sprouts are around 2 inches tall, stems almost transparent and not strong enough to stand up right, leaves are very tiny and a light brown/green colour

LOG BOOK:

January 13: bought materials for the project

Day 1: planted 7 chia seeds in 3 cups of compost soil. Watered with 3 teaspoons of water. Placed one in my window, one in the downstairs bathroom with the light on, and one in the storage room under the stairs.

Day 2: no growth across the board

Day 3: NL: a couple little sprouts, about 5 mm. AL: no growth. NoL: no growth

Day 4: NL: a few more sprouts, ¼ inch tall. AL: no growth. NoL: no growth

Day 5: NL: more healthy growth. AL: nothing. NoL: nothing

Day 6: growth in Natural light, nothing in other pots

Day 7: same as day 6

Day 8: NL: healthy growth. AL: a few little sprouts! NoL: nothing

Day 9: growth in NL and AL. NoL: nothing

Day 10: healthy growth in NL and AL. NoL: 5 little white, weak looking sprouts!

Day 11: water and monitor growth

Day 12: watered and monitor growth

Day 13: watered, monitor

Day 14: water in morning, look at growth

Day 15-18: watered and observed growth

Day 18: NL: sprouts are strong, green, and open. AL: sprouts have started to fall over. NoL: sprouts are very sickly, white, weak

Day 19: watered and monitor growth

Day 20-29: watered and looked at growth

Day 30: last day of experiment! NL: lots of chia plants, about 4 inches tall, very healthy. AL: a few chia plants, about 3 inches tall, kinda slanted to the side. NoL: not many chia sprouts, very sickly, not standing up at all

Analysis

Natural Light is the best. It grew nice, healthy, and green chia plants

Artificial light is ok. It grew kinda wilty chia plants

No Light is bad for growth. It grew sickly brown/white chia plants

Conclusion

The purpose of this experiment was to figure out how the type of light that plants were exposed to affected the way they grew. The results of the experiment showed that the plant that was exposed to natural light grew extremely well and quickly. The plant that was exposed to only artificial light grew but not as quickly or big. The plant that was exposed to only darkness took a long time to grow and didn’t thrive at all. My hypothesis was not completely correct. The natural light did help the plant grow, but what surprised me was that the darkness allowed the plant to sprout but not thrive. In conclusion, the type of light does affect the the way plants grow. A plant can sprout in any light situation, but they can’t survive in any light situation. No light allows plants to sprout, but growth takes a long time and the plant is sickly and skinny. Artificial light does produce healthy enough plants. Natural light produces the most healthy and beautiful plants.

Application

Knowledge that growing plants in natural light is the best, artificial light would work in a pinch, and growing anything in no light is not a good idea and honestly feels kinda mean.

Sources Of Error

The temperature difference in the different locations could affect growth

Making sure the plants stayed in their light souces for the 30 days (watering in the dark is heard!)

The importance of Light in growth

Juno Cassel

Grade 5