Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I did my project,but it did not work. So I would like to know what I did wrong. My project is "Do potatoes regulate the grownth of new roots?" I put the potatoes in my garage but they turned out rotten. I tighten the bags with rubber bands;and no roots came out:?


Sincerly Yours,
Prince200

Hello Prince200,

One reason I could think of that would explain why your potatoes didn't produce any roots would be the temperature. What was the temperature in your garage?
Usually potatoes are stored from 35 up to 50 degrees, to prevent them from germinating, so if you want the potatoes to germinate, the temperature should be higher.

Also, did you use paper bags? I would think that plastic bags would not let the air through, and thus lead the potatoes to rot.

Let me know if this helps, and in any case, don't let the disappointment lead you away from experimenting again!

Heloise

Hi Prince 200,

I think you did this project from the Science Buddies website, and it is a really great project:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p017.shtml

Heloise has given you some really good suggestions that might explain why you didn’t obtain the expected results. The temperature, oxygen, and light conditions are really important for potatoes to grow roots. From Heloise’s suggestions, do you know what was different in your experiment compared to the project guide that might have caused the potatoes to rot?

I would like to add some additional comments. First, is not possible for a science project not to work or to have the wrong results; you have set up a controlled experiment and obtained results. So, when you write up your results, you should not say that your experiment did not work. You should describe your experiment, state your hypothesis, and present your results (no roots, rotten potatoes). You will have to say that your hypothesis was not correct, but you can do some additional background research and explain what happened, and perhaps describe what you would do differently if you were to do the project again.

Since the conditions in your experiment were not optimum for potato growth, your project actually turned into a microbiology project. There are lots of bacteria that grow on potatoes called soft rot bacteria.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3106.html

The bacteria were probably present on the potatoes when you started the experiment, and since your experiment did not provide conditions that allowed potatoes to grow, the bacteria were able to take over and use the potato as a food source. You should go ahead and write up your results and start working on your project board. Since this is a science project, it’s really important to communicate your results.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... oard.shtml

Here is an advanced project idea on composting. Read the introduction of this project to learn more about what may have happened in your experiment.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p035.shtml

Also, since your project is not due until April 2, while you are writing up your results, you could also set up your experiment again and see what happens.

Good luck!


Donna Hardy

Dear Donna Hardy,

Thank you for your help I really appreciate it; I'll try what you suggested.

Sincerly Yours,
Prince200

Dear Heloise,

Thank you for your help; I owe you one.

Prince200

Hi Prince 200,

You are more than welcome! Thank-you for your reply. I’m very happy that our suggestions are helpful to you. I think your project will be excellent if you understand the science behind what happened and can communicate the results on your board. Let us know if you have any more questions as you are completing your project.

Donna

Hi,i did the project over i put the potatoes in paper bags in two weeks,but i only saw tiny white buds are those roots or what?


sincerly
prince200

Hi Prince,

Congratulations. You obtained the expected results this time. If conditions were dark, those little white buds are potato roots starting to grow. If there was any light available, you might have potato sprouts. Was there any difference in the number of white buds between the control and experimental group?


Donna Hardy

Dear Donna,


What do you mean by "Was there any difference in the numberof white buds between
the control and experimental group?" Also if I needed to write it in report form would I
say that the buds are roots or what? And thank you again very very much,I really appre-
ciate it.

Sincerely,
Prince200

Hi Prince,

If it was dark in the paper bags, the buds were roots. If you are not certain, then just call them roots. Does this help?

Donna

Hi Donna ,

I have tried 3 times to post my results and ask you some questions unsuccessfully. Now I would like to post my results again and see If you could get them and help me out. For the first graph I do not see a correlation. For bag # 1, I counted 16 buds ; for bag #2 I counted 10 and 7,; for bag#3 , 12,3,6 ; for #4 6,3,12,2 ; for #5 ,5,5,1,2,9 ; for #6 ,7,3,1,2,1,2; for #7 , 4,2,3,0,2,6,3 ; for #8 , 2,8,1,4,2,3,2,2 . Then I looked for average " of roots per piece grown . For bag #1 it is 16 ;for bag#2 it is 8 1/2 ; for bag # 3 it is 7 ; for bag #4 it is 5 3/5 ; for bag # 5 it is 4 2/5 ; for bag #6 it is 2 2/3 and for bag #7 it is 2 6/7 ; for bag #8 it is 3. I do not see a correlation. total foe each bag is as follows bag #1 it is 16; for bag #2 it is 17; bag 3 it is 21; bag 4 it is 23; bAG 5 IT IS 22 ;BAG 6 IT IS 16 ; BAG 7 IT IS 20 ; Bag 8 it is 24 . do you see a correlation? Sould there be any? how to make my conclusion? thanks.

prince 200

Hi Prince 200,

Thanks for posting your data. I’m sure there is a correlation and a conclusion that will evident as soon as the results are graphed. I’m not sure what to say right now, but I’ll look more closely at the data and post again tomorrow with some suggestions and an explanation that should help you. This is great! It’s nice to have some data to analyze.

Donna Hardy

Hi,Donna


Thanks,I'll be wait for the answer.

Prince200

Hi Prince 200,

Your results are excellent. I have posted Excel x-y graphs of the data graphed as suggested in the project guide. I hope you can open the links. Graph number one shows the total number of roots in each bag on the y-axis and number of pieces in the bag on the x-axis. Graph number 2 shows the average number of roots per piece on the y-axis vs. the number of pieces in each bag on the x-axis. Does one graph look more or less like a straight line and the other graph show a trend? Did you happen to count the number of “eyes” on each potato? Did all of the eyes form buds? Please let me know what you think the graphs say about your results.

Do you know how to use Excel to make a graph like this? If you have Excel, let me know and I’ll explain how to do this. If you don’t have Excel, you can transfer the graphs by hand and do hand-written graphs for your project board.

Please also let me know what information you have for the following questions:

1. What is your hypothesis?

2. What references do you have for auxins? This information should be in your background section. Also include general information on plant growth.

The science fair judges will be looking at your project to see if you understand the science behind your project, and whether or not you have conducted a well-controlled experiment. Be sure and explain what your independent variable and dependent variable are, and list all of the conditions that were controlled.

I would also recommend including a brief summary of the results of your first results, even though it turned into a composting experiment. The science fair judges will be impressed that you repeated your experiment.

Let me know if there’s anything you don’t understand. You still have time to do a really great write up.

Donna Hardy

Hello Prince 200,

First, congratulation for being persistent, and redoing the experiment with different variables!
Second, instead of looking for a correlation, maybe the question should be rephrased as: do you see any trend in your results?
One way to ask yourself this question is to try to answer for yourself the following: if you had cut a potato in 10 pieces, where approximately you you think the results would have ended on the graphs?

So maybe try to answer those questions first and get back to us with what you think.

Best,

Heloise

Hi Donna,

Thank you for replying back to me.I'm going to answer your questions.For the first graph there is a trend and for the 2 one there is a straight line.My hypothesis is that potatoes do regulate the grownth of new roots;and I did not talk about auxim in my report.Should I connect the dots when I make my graph?Do you know what proof that I have to see if my hypothesis is right?

Prince200

Hi Prince 200,

Heloise has given you some really good advice, and I think you have done an excellent job in evaluating your graphs. Yes, I would connect the dotted lines so anyone looking at the graphs can see the trends. With the potato pieces in larger pieces, there were more roots per piece of potato, and with the smaller pieces, there were less roots per piece, but about the same number total in bag.

Since your project is on plant development, you should include some information on auxins in your background information. You want the science fair judges to know that you understand the science behind your project. Auxins are plant hormones that control development, including root development. Here is the Wikipedia article
that includes some information on root growth and development:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auxin

Here is another website. You could also search for “auxin” and “root development” to find more sources:

http://www.plant-hormones.info/auxins.htm

What is the title of your project? Do you have all of the sections to include on your project board? Have you checked your teacher's written assignment to make sure you have included any special requirements? The details are important in writing up your project.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... oard.shtml

Let us know if you have any questions.


Donna Hardy

hi donna



is it okay if i do the project over

Hello Prince200,

Your project was very successful! Why would you want to do it over?

Heloise

Hi Heloise

Because my mom thinks that we counted the buds wrong? Did we realy count the buds wrong

Hi Prince 200,

I agree with Heloise; your data looks very good and looks successful to me too. The project is due in about a week, so it's probably more important to concentrate on writing up your results than in repeating it. However, your Mom was there, so please explain why she thinks you counted wrong. Did you count the potato "eyes" that had swollen and started to sprout?

One thing you can explain to your Mom that when you do a science project, results are empirical. What that means is that there's no right or wrong answer. If you set up a carefully controlled experiment, then the results are what they are. You can't change them and you can't say that you got the wrong results. You did a good job of controlling the experiment on your second try, and the results seem reasonable. But Mom's opinion is very important, so perhaps we should discuss this before you continue.


Donna Hardy

Hi Prince200,

Donna's point is really true: you did an experiment and got results. The way your science project is going to be evaluated is about how you were to ask a question, set up an experiment that would provide answers to this question, and interpret your results. The results themselves are not what matters the most.
And here, you got results in your first experiment, that you can even compare to your second one. It also gives you informations on the conditions that are necessary for the potatoes to grow roots! So even this first experiment is a great way for you to demonstrate that you can use scientific reasoning by making sense out of it.
For your second experiment, as Donna asked, why do your mom think that you did not count the roots accurately?

Cheer up, so far it seems that you have everything needed for your science project!

Heloise

Hi Heloise

Thank you for the encouragement I really apprieciate it ; Oh! and I wrote my conclusion that the potatoes do regulate the grownth of new roots;I tallked about the auxins.I said that auxins help potatoes grow new roots,but my mom wants to know who the results prove that potatoes do regulate the grownth of new roots.

Prince200

Hi Prince 200,

Congratulations on finishing your project! It sounds like you did a really good job. Here is an explanation for you mom; I hope it will make sense to you also and help you in thinking about next year’s project.

Progress in science is made one experiment at a time. When trying to answer an unknown question, scientists will read all of the background information on the topic and look at all of the experiments that have been done before, and then design a carefully controlled experiment that will answer the new question. For your project, the information about the auxins was known from your background reading information and you verified that the potato had auxins and regulated the growth of the new sprouts. In your first experiment, something happened and the potatoes died, so microorganisms were able to grow and start to recycle the elements in the potato and you didn’t observe the effects of the auxins. In a science project, it’s important to understand the science behind your project so you can design a really good experiment.

Good luck at the science fair. Let us know what happens.

Donna Hardy

Hey Donna,

Ok,I'll post you back .