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Look for the red words for help. Be creative, but still be quality!

How does the amount of fertilizer affect the

height of a soybean plant? (Your title can be

anything)By I.M. Scientist

Purpose QuestionWhat is the effect of amount of fertilizer on

the height of a soybean plant measured in centimeters?

Independent Variable: Amount of Fertilizer Conditions: 1 ounce, 2 ounces, and 0 ounces

Dependent Variable: Height of Plant

Background Research1. What is fertilizer?Fertilizer is a supplement that contains 3

macronutrients that plants need: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The numbers on a bag of fertilizer tell the percent of each of these macronutrients. The rest of the stuff just provides a vehicle to deliver the macronutrients.

www.howstuffworks.com

Background Research2. What do soybeans need to grow?Soybeans grow best in full sun and in warm

weather. They prefer a rich soil, high in nitrogen, with a pH between 5.5 and 7. Soil should be kept moist and well-drained for optimum growth.

http://www.gardenersnet.com/vegetable/soybean.htm

Background Research3. What different types of fertilizer are there?Fertilizer can be quick release vs. slow release,

liquid (which is more quick release) vs. solid, organic (which tends to focus on only one nutrient so has to be mixed). Fertilizer also differs in the percent of macronutrients.

http://www.life123.com/home-garden/gardening-tips/soil-fertilizers/understanding-different-types-of-fertilizers.shtml

Background Research Question 4

Background Research Question 5

**Note: If I gave you suggestions for how to improve your research questions on your handout, you must change them

Materials Soybean seeds Soil Tap water 12 ounce plastic cups Permanent marker Miracle Gro brand fertilizer Measuring cup Ruler Cell phone camera Paper Pencil

Procedures (Split this into two slides if you have to)

1. Gather materials2. Label cups A, B, C, D, E, and F using a permanent marker3. Fill each cup with 4 ounces of soil, measured using a measuring cup4. Place 2 soybean seeds on top of soil in the center of the cup5. Cover seeds with 4 more ounces of soil6. Pack down soil lightly7. Add 1 ounce of tap water to each cup using the measuring cup8. Add 1 ounce of fertilizer to cups A and B using the measuring cup9. Add 2 ounces of fertilizer to cups C and D using the measuring cup10. Set cups on window sill in the sun, 3 inches away from the window11. For 10 days, measure height of plant using a ruler at 5:00 pm. Record

values in table.12. Take pictures of plants every other day for 10 days using cell phone

camera.13. Water each cup with 1 ounce of tap water every other day.14. After 10 days, plant soybeans in the ground or bring to school. Project

is complete.

This is a great place to take pictures during your experiment!

HypothesisThe cup containing the most fertilizer will

cause the soybean plant to grow the tallest because fertilizer provides plants with extra nutrients to grow.

***do NOT use “I think”. Keep your hypothesis clear and simple.

Pictures are required!

My Experiment and Me (Including a picture of yourself)

Data Table(s)

Height of Soybean for Over 10 Days (Cm) Cup and Condition Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 A: 1 oz fertilizer 0 0 0 0 0.5 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.9 1.1 B: 1 oz fertilizer 0 0 0 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.9 C: 2 oz fertilizer 0 0 0 0.5 0.7 0.7 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.3 D: 2 oz fertilizer 0 0 0 0.6 0.6 0.8 0.9 1.1 1.2 1.3 E: No fertilizer 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.5 F: No fertilizer 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

The effect of different amounts of fertilizer on height of soybean

To Insert Table Go to “Insert” at the top of the screen. Hit “Table” Adjust the table to the size you want

Example: Columns 3, Rows 5

Add Info Here

To Insert Graph Go to “Insert” at the top of the page Click on “Chart” Select the chart type you want: bar or line Fill in the appropriate information in the

Excel spreadsheet. It will update automatically

The Effect of Amount of Fertilizer on Soybean Growth

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1 2 3

Amount of Fertilizer (oz.)

Gro

wth

(cm

)

Series1

Data Analysis *Show a calculation or give an explanation for your scale: example: percent change, average, how clean this is on a scale from 1 to 5….

Average growth of beans

With no fertilizer: 0.5 + 0 = 0.25 cm 2

With 1 oz. fertilizer: 1.1 + 0.9 = 1.0 cm 2

With 2 oz. fertilizer: 1.3 + 1.3 = 1.3 cm 2

Data AnalysisThe expected results of this experiment were that the soybeans

grown with 2 oz. of fertilizer would grow the most and the soybeans grown without fertilizer would grow the least. The actual results matched the expected results. The average growth in the two trials using 2 oz. was 1.3 cm, the average growth in the two trials using 1 oz. was 1.0 cm, and the average growth in the two trials without fertilizer was 0.25 cm. Even if the soybean that did not grow is not counted, the growth was still only 0.5 cm.

**Note: This analysis uses good quantitative data and compares between conditions.

Data Analysis: Sources of ErrorOne source of error is that the growing beans were transferred from one location to another (school to home) after three days so that their growth could be measured every single day. To correct for this, the beans should be planted in a location that is accessible at all times.

**Note: You need 3 good sources of error. I am less impressed with data and more impressed with WHY you think certain things happened.

ConclusionThe purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of

amount of fertilizer on the height of soybean plants. The hypothesis being tested was that adding more fertilizer would cause plants to grow taller. To test this hypothesis, soybeans were grown from seed for 10 days using no fertilizer, 1 oz. of fertilizer, and two oz. of fertilizer. They were given the same amount of water and exposed to the same amount of sunlight and measured at the same time every day. The results of this experiment support the hypothesis. At the end of 10 days, the plants with 2 oz. of fertilizer had grown an average of 1.3 cm, the plants with 1 oz. of fertilizer had grown an average of 1.0 cm, and the plants with no fertilizer had grown an average of 0.25 cm. To further this experiment, the brand of fertilizer could be tested instead of the amount of fertilizer.

Citations Copy them directly from your citations

handout as long as you did them in the proper FORMAL format