Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

For science fair I would like to conduct an experiment on how UV radiation affects plants. So I was going to buy lamps that emitted different types of uv light, however I ran into some issues.I was going to use
1.) Natural light as a control [ I live in south FL so this is not an issue ]
2.) A light [that would "mimic" natural light]
3.) Natural light but under some type of UV blocking sheet
4.) A light that emitted mainly UV-B light [such as a reptile lamp]
5.) A light that emitted mainly UV-C light [ such as a microbial disinfectant lamp]

So my questions are,
Would this type of experiment work in yielding beneficial/relevant data?
Would these types of lamps emit UV radiation?
-And if they do, how would I conduct this experiment without committing a Marie Curie and making the area I use slightly radioactive?

Thank you in advance!

Hi there,

Wow, great experiment design! I think you are on the right track.

I believe that whether your experiment will produce relevant data depends on the type of lamps you use. The lamps you use should have the same amount of energy emitted to the plants, so be aware to look at the lamps' specifications (μW/cm2 meaning microwatts per centimeter square) before you buy them.

Personally, I believe that those lamps will emit a small amount of UV radiation as they are UV-B and UV-C light. I read that microbial disinfectant lamps are safe to human and harmful to bacteria and viruses. And reptile light is widely used by those who have a reptile pet. Therefore, I would not worry so much about spreading radioactivity to the area, because the light are not strong enough. Those are my personal comments, so please also consult your teachers and more people for your experiment.

Let us know if you have any question.

Best,
Elise

Thanks again

Hello Once Again!

I am doing a project on how UVC radiation affects genetic mutation in plants. My current hypothesis is that prolonged exposure to UVC radiation will cause genetic mutation in plants. I would like to test this however I am not 100% sure how to go about it. UVC radiation can be extremely dangerous when there is prolonged exposure. So how would I expose the plants to this without inadvertently burning myself? I did some research and I was planning to wear latex gloves, a UV shielding mask, and a long sleeved cotton jacket (as well as long pants ) when I go to turn the light on and off. Then I would just stay away from the lamp while it was on.
Also, where would I need to place the bulb( along with my plants) so that I can safely conduct my experiment?


Thank you in advance,
Dominique

Moderator note: I've merged this last post together with your previous posts on this topic. Please follow Ask the Expert guidelines and keep all of your posts on the same topic in the same thread so the experts who have been helping you can more easily see that you have follow-up questions. Thank you.

What would be a catchy title for this project?

Thanks!

The particular lamps you purchase will have safety recommendations that come with them, but I would say off the bat that you will need to make sure they are somewhere well marked so people do not accidentally walk into the room and look into them. Perhaps setting up a black curtain around the setup. Additionally, you may need to take fire precautions depending on the lamp. I agree when you go to turn on/off the light you will at the very least need UV blocking goggles or sunglasses, and skin coverage is not a bad idea. The next thing you need to think of before getting too ahead of yourself is how you will measure mutation. You might also consider testing something like fungal infection which could be visible to the naked eye rather than requiring genetic testing.
You can come up with a catchy title after those details are figured out
Good luck!