Investigating the effect of acid rain on the growth of cress seeds
Background Information:
Describe why seeds need water and plants need water. (Photosynthesis)
Answer: They take in co2 in the leaves
.Light, water, carbon dioxide = photosynthesis =they make sugars and energy to be able to grow
.The seeds need water, carbon dioxide and light to be able to process the photosynthesis so it will be able to produce sugar and energy so it will allow the seed or plant to grow.
.Carbon dioxide + water Glucose + oxygen

How does water get into a growing plant (use a diagram?)
Answer:

Reference: http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/T/transpiration.html
Describe how acids affect plant enzymes
Answers: .Enzymes is a small biological molecule that helps speed up chemical reactions through the cells but not used in the process also there are different types of enzymes
.Enzymes can occur to the organisms naturally however they can be increasingly used to the industries process.
.Enzymes are a protein molecule that are been made up of an amino acids they also contain about 100 or 1,000 amino acids.
.If pH is low or to high the enzymes structure can breakdown which makes it not work properly because the enzymes has already broken down or been denatured.
What is the range of pH that plats can normally tolerate?
Answer: The pH of cress seed / soil is about pH 67
Aim:
To observe the effects of acid rain water of different pH’s on the growth of cress seeds
Apparatus:
.3 petri dishes
.3 Large cotton wool
.30 cress seeds
.Camera
.AWNM water samples = (Dargall lane 2.3 pH, Coney glen 9.6 pH, Tap water)
Diagram:

Method:
• Collect 3 petri dishes, 3 large pieces of cotton wool and 30 cress seeds. Label each dish with your name and the pH of the acid rain you will use.
• Place a piece of cotton wool over the bottom of each of the petri dishes.
• Add acid rain water to the dish so that the cotton wool is wet but not over flowing. (use 2 different pH’s and one dish with tap water)
• Evenly space 10 cress seeds over the cotton wool
• Write your observations every day and take photos of your dishes daily too.
Risk Assessment:
Hazard Details of how it can cause harm and who it can harm How to reduce the risk
Cotton wool getting to your ears and gets stuck It could infect you ears or irritate Not playing around in the experiment
Acid liquid in your hands It could irritate or you might get some allergy reaction Do not touch the liquid if its harmful or dirty or not playing around with it
Seed in the eyes You could possibly go blind or irritates Don’t play around with the seed
Results:
Results table for Cress seeds in normal pH water (Coney glen)
Day Photo Observations
1 The cress seed has not been yet germinated and not shown any crack also it still looks healthy.
2 The seed has still not been germinated and has not cracked yet but still looking healthy.
3 The seed still haven’t been germinated also either crack but still looking healthy
4 Still not sign of germinated also not crack but still looking healthy
5 No germinated still no sign of crack but it’s still healthy
8 The seed is still looking healthy but about 2 of them weren’t but it’s finally germinated.
9 The cress still germinated and 2 of them still not been germinated but still looking healthy.

Results table for Cress seeds in water of pH? (Tap water)
Day Photo Observations
1 They are healthy and did not germinate and did not crack either.
2 They are healthy and did not germinate but they still do look the same as day 1.
3 The cress seed is still not been germinated also no sign of crack is been seen or found but still look healthy.
4 No germinated and not yet cracked but it’s still healthy
5