The Effect of Hydrogen Peroxide on Seed Germination
First recognized as a chemical compound in 1818, hydrogen peroxide is a clear, colorless liquid most often used for cleaning or disinfecting(Britannica, 2013). Since pure hydrogen peroxide is unstable, it is found in stores as an aqueous solution. The chemical formula for hydrogen peroxide is H₂O₂ which means there are two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms in the compound(Liebeskind, 2013).
Seed germination is simply the process in which a seedling sprouts from a seed and begins it’s growth. The most important factors for seed germination is the temperature, the presence of oxygen and the exposure to water. For a seed to germinate, the temperature must be between 60 and 75 degrees fahrenheit. Oxygen and water must be present as well. Lastly the seed must be exposed to light(Britannica, 2013).
The hypothesis for the experiment is “If seeds are put into different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, then the highest concentration will germinate the most amount of seeds.”
What was hoped to learn was if hydrogen peroxide would be effective in fertilizer and in the growth of plants. When an article stating that hydrogen peroxide was approved for use in plant fertilizer the idea of this experiment was constructed.
The first step to the experiment was to measure 250 mL of pure water in a beaker then pour it into a glass along with 5 mL of hydrogen peroxide and soak one paper towel in the solution. Next, the paper towel was gently wrung out and placed in the plastic bag folded up neatly and evenly. Subsequently, ten seeds were laid across the paper towel and the bag was sealed with a small layer of air left in the bag. Then the seeds were observed everyday for 7 days. Lastly, after the 7 days were over, the amount of seeds that germinated was tallied and recorded.
The graphs and tables showed that hydrogen peroxide had a very minor effect on the speed of the germination of a seed. Although each concentration of hydrogen peroxide had a faster growth average than pure
Seed germination is simply the process in which a seedling sprouts from a seed and begins it’s growth. The most important factors for seed germination is the temperature, the presence of oxygen and the exposure to water. For a seed to germinate, the temperature must be between 60 and 75 degrees fahrenheit. Oxygen and water must be present as well. Lastly the seed must be exposed to light(Britannica, 2013).
The hypothesis for the experiment is “If seeds are put into different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, then the highest concentration will germinate the most amount of seeds.”
What was hoped to learn was if hydrogen peroxide would be effective in fertilizer and in the growth of plants. When an article stating that hydrogen peroxide was approved for use in plant fertilizer the idea of this experiment was constructed.
The first step to the experiment was to measure 250 mL of pure water in a beaker then pour it into a glass along with 5 mL of hydrogen peroxide and soak one paper towel in the solution. Next, the paper towel was gently wrung out and placed in the plastic bag folded up neatly and evenly. Subsequently, ten seeds were laid across the paper towel and the bag was sealed with a small layer of air left in the bag. Then the seeds were observed everyday for 7 days. Lastly, after the 7 days were over, the amount of seeds that germinated was tallied and recorded.
The graphs and tables showed that hydrogen peroxide had a very minor effect on the speed of the germination of a seed. Although each concentration of hydrogen peroxide had a faster growth average than pure