Collaborators: Anna, Ahlora, Reem, Chinonso
Abstract:
For several weeks, 3 groups of grass was watered with 3 different pH’s which were 7, 4, and 2. At the end of the study, the plants were examined and found that each had different effects. The grass watered with the pH of 7 had healthy looking grass on top, but the soil was extremely dry. The grass watered with the pH of 4 had healthy green looking grass and moist soil but the roots were disconnected. The grass watered with the pH of 2 was wilting, and had very dry roots and dry soil.
Problem: How does acid rain affect fescue plants?
Hypothesis: The lower the pH of the rain, the more the grass will dry up and die.
Control Group- water with a pH of 7
Experimental Group- 2 and 4 pH waters
Independent Variable- pH of the Water
Dependent Variable- The growth of the plants
Materials:
9 2-L bottles containing fescue plants
Water
Sulfuric acid (H2SO4)
Sunlight
Methods:
· Plant 3 grass plants in two-liter bottles, and water them each twice a week for one month.
· Water plant A with a pH of 7
· Water plant B with a pH of 4
· Water plant C with a pH of 2
· After about a month, take them out and inspect each of them to see how the pH affected it’s growth
Data:
Abstract:
For several weeks, 3 groups of grass was watered with 3 different pH’s which were 7, 4, and 2. At the end of the study, the plants were examined and found that each had different effects. The grass watered with the pH of 7 had healthy looking grass on top, but the soil was extremely dry. The grass watered with the pH of 4 had healthy green looking grass and moist soil but the roots were disconnected. The grass watered with the pH of 2 was wilting, and had very dry roots and dry soil.
Problem: How does acid rain affect fescue plants?
Hypothesis: The lower the pH of the rain, the more the grass will dry up and die.
Control Group- water with a pH of 7
Experimental Group- 2 and 4 pH waters
Independent Variable- pH of the Water
Dependent Variable- The growth of the plants
Materials:
9 2-L bottles containing fescue plants
Water
Sulfuric acid (H2SO4)
Sunlight
Methods:
· Plant 3 grass plants in two-liter bottles, and water them each twice a week for one month.
· Water plant A with a pH of 7
· Water plant B with a pH of 4
· Water plant C with a pH of 2
· After about a month, take them out and inspect each of them to see how the pH affected it’s growth
Data:
Data Analysis:
This data shows that grass is affected differently with different pH’s. The grass watered with the pH of 7 was healthy looking at the top and in the roots, but the soil was very dry. The grass watered with the pH of 4 was healthy looking, and soil was moist. The roots did appear to be not as connected as the other plant watered with the pH of 7. The grass watered with the pH of 2 however was wilting, and both the roots and soil were extremely dry. These were the effects over about a four week span.
Conclusions:
The hypothesis that the grass would dry up and die with a lower pH was correct. This was shown in the grass that got withered up and had extremely dry soil, because it was watered with a pH of 2. An error that could have occurred is the fact that this was a very small sample of grass, and water that was estimated. When it rains, the rain could have a different pH than what we watered the grass with. A similar experiment was done on two tomato plants. For a week, one was watered with diluted sulfuric acid and the other was watered with plain tap water. The one watered with the diluted sulfuric acid was very wilted by the end of the week, and it shrunk a lot; but it was still green. The one watered with tap water grew, and the leaves were strong and healthy looking. The plants seemed to be affected more than the grass, and it seems that way because plants have less volume than grass altogether does. According to air-quality.org, acid rain directly reduces the yield of many different crop species, as well as depleting the nutrients and causing plant diseases. For example, when the acid rain breaks through the wax coating on the leaves, the acid then goes into the plant and interrupts the evaporation of the water and the gas exchange. This causes the plant to no longer be able to breathe, and it will die. If the burning of fossil fuels can be reduced, and more natural gas can be used, this will have a big impact on the air quality; it’ll reduce acid rain, and save the crops.
Citation:
"Effects of Air Pollution & Acid Rain on Farmland." Effects of Air Pollution & Acid Rain on Farmland. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. <http://www.air-quality.org.uk/14.php>.
This data shows that grass is affected differently with different pH’s. The grass watered with the pH of 7 was healthy looking at the top and in the roots, but the soil was very dry. The grass watered with the pH of 4 was healthy looking, and soil was moist. The roots did appear to be not as connected as the other plant watered with the pH of 7. The grass watered with the pH of 2 however was wilting, and both the roots and soil were extremely dry. These were the effects over about a four week span.
Conclusions:
The hypothesis that the grass would dry up and die with a lower pH was correct. This was shown in the grass that got withered up and had extremely dry soil, because it was watered with a pH of 2. An error that could have occurred is the fact that this was a very small sample of grass, and water that was estimated. When it rains, the rain could have a different pH than what we watered the grass with. A similar experiment was done on two tomato plants. For a week, one was watered with diluted sulfuric acid and the other was watered with plain tap water. The one watered with the diluted sulfuric acid was very wilted by the end of the week, and it shrunk a lot; but it was still green. The one watered with tap water grew, and the leaves were strong and healthy looking. The plants seemed to be affected more than the grass, and it seems that way because plants have less volume than grass altogether does. According to air-quality.org, acid rain directly reduces the yield of many different crop species, as well as depleting the nutrients and causing plant diseases. For example, when the acid rain breaks through the wax coating on the leaves, the acid then goes into the plant and interrupts the evaporation of the water and the gas exchange. This causes the plant to no longer be able to breathe, and it will die. If the burning of fossil fuels can be reduced, and more natural gas can be used, this will have a big impact on the air quality; it’ll reduce acid rain, and save the crops.
Citation:
"Effects of Air Pollution & Acid Rain on Farmland." Effects of Air Pollution & Acid Rain on Farmland. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. <http://www.air-quality.org.uk/14.php>.