Poll: vote quick please

[ImprezaAddict]

Im doing Science Fair. Im doing my test right now.
Here it is: Does light affect growth rate?

 

[Specialized]

Im doing Science Fair. Im doing my test right now.
Here it is: Does light affect growth rate?

Yep it does, and its to do with photosynthesis. Been a few years since college so i will let the wiki help you

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosynthesis

Spec....

 

[ImprezaAddict]

yeah but its a sort of debate

 

[lmracer]

/\ so pull up that information debate and pwzn all ? /\

 

[Omnis]

What the hell kind of science project is that? My teacher would've laughed in my face, you lucky luck-face.

Here's how your whole experiment will turn out (I did this in 3rd grade gifted class): the plant in the dark will grow amazingly fast towards light, but usually will not be as healthy as the plant in the light in the long run. In other words, darkness makes plants grow faster, but they might not live as long depending on the plant. If there is absolutely no light whatsoever, no photosynthesis will occur and the plant will never grow.

you're done.

 

[Keef]

So, you're asking wether or not the amount of light affects a plant's growth rate. Absolutely! If you give a plant too much ligth it'll burn up though. THat's when you give it more water. I don't know if plants have a maximum amount of resources they can take in before they explode or whatever, but you have to give them more water and more light at the same time if you want the highest effect.
Are you asking if, without raising the water given, the plants will grow more if they're given more light? I think the growth rate would go up, though very slightly. I also believe the plant would run out of water quicker, so the speed of growth would be faster, but it would grow the same amount overall because it would stop sooner.

 

[dylansan]

How are you going to test it? If you put one plant in average light and one in complete darkness, the one in the dark will not live long, because the plant turns light into food, and as with any living thing, you can't live without any food. Then again you may be just trying one in average light, and one in bright light, in which case, I'm pretty sure the plant in more light will grow more, because we did it in my science class. Will it grow faster? I have no clue.

 

[Omnis]

I already answered with a confirmed experiment.

 

[Max Powers]

Light kills plants, duh!

 

[3-Wheel Drive]

Reminds me of my fouth grade Sciences Fair. I tested tow bean plants to see if light or water was more important to a plant. One got lots of sun, but almost no water, the other got lots of water, but vey little light. The light one burned and shriveled after about a week, but the water one remained ok...until I swung my posterboard and broke its stem trying to set up my display at school.

 

[Zrow]

Light kills plants, duh!

dumblimedood you idiot, light is what makes plants grow!!!1

 

[Max Powers]

 

[opendriver]

Ah, good ol' science fair. I did mine on " what is the best bridge design?" I had to build 3 different bridges out of popsicle sticks and hot clue and see which one was the strongest. Didnt win 1st but I still got a 93%, meh I was somewhat amused, some kid did his on "luck" and got a B-

He made a formula, ill ask him later for it

 

[GT4_Rule]

Yep. Faster Photosynthesis rate.

 

[G.T]

Here's how your whole experiment will turn out (I did this in 3rd grade gifted class): the plant in the dark will grow amazingly fast towards light, but usually will not be as healthy as the plant in the light in the long run. In other words, darkness makes plants grow faster, but they might not live as long depending on the plant. If there is absolutely no light whatsoever, no photosynthesis will occur and the plant will never grow.

you're done.

Exactly how I would have said it.

I should do this experiment again sometime. I found it pretty interesting (I know, I get amused easily).

 

[ImprezaAddict]

I havent explained well. I have 3 plants. The 3 will be put in different places, one in the sun, one in the light of a lamp, and one in pure dark. I should do this for 3 hours straight and write a journal.

 

[GT4_Rule]

3 hours of testing only? That would hardly make any differences.

If you want some clear results you're looking into 3 days, man.

 

[Omnis]

I think we did our projects over a week or two and we used Lima beans planted shallow in soil. They grew pretty fast. 3 hours is nothing. Have you even done any background research?

Anyway, you should define darkness in your project. Complete darkness/no light whatsoever, as I stated before, will only grow as much as the seed permits it. It won't be able to produce its own food, and will die as soon as it exhausts the seed's (and/or its vessel's) nutrients.

But, if you're dealing with partial darkness, where a tiny bit of light is present, you'll get the crazy growth. The plant will struggle to find the light so it can grow leaves that catch that light well. This could prematurely exhaust the plant, and all that extra plant mass that is created is super inefficient due to it not being able to photosynthesize. That'll usually lead to an unhealthy plant. Lol.

You can get away with theory when doing these types of projects, but it is pretty fun to actually conduct the experiment.