Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

PLEASE HELP- Im literally about to have a breakdown because I'm so stressed. My science project is asking how higher levels of carbon dioxide impact plant growth. Im going to do 4 different environments. One will be "normal" (no added Co2), one with 1ml of vinegar and 1mg of baking soda, another with 2 mg and 2ml, another with 3, and another with 4. I'm planting a bean seed in each pot and letting the seedlings sprout, then I'm going to place them in clear plastic containers. How do I water them after I put them in the containers?

Hi, sciencefaire! No need to have a breakdown; this should be a fun project

I don't have any experience with this type of experiment, so other experts should feel welcome to chime in with better ideas, but off the top of my head, you could try setting up a system for automatic watering of your plants in each environment / plastic container-- it's simpler than it sounds. Here's one link to get you started: <http://homeguides.sfgate.com/use-plasti ... 50270.html>. I'm unsure how much water your seeds need to get started-- it might be different than for plants that are already grown-- but this could be a starting point.

Why not simply make more of each solution right before you intend to use it. I would also be a little concerned about the acidity of the vinegar solution. Why are you using vinegar. Why not just use a baking soda solution minus the vinegar. Otherwise, if you see some effect of the vinegar/baking soda solution, it could be argued that the effect is due to the pH and not the additional CO2. Be sure to make the bicarb solutions right before you plan to use them, or keep them in bottles that can be capped air-tight, otherwise you will lose precious CO2.