Effect of pH Levels on the Growth of Bean Plants

Essay by dryedroses16High School, 11th grade July 2009

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AbstractDifferent pH level may affect the growth and development of the plants. Certain key words include: pH level, germination, acidity, osmosis and diffusion. This experiment examines the effects of different pH level of vinegar on the growth of bean plants. Materials used in this experiment consist of: water (pH 6), vinegar with the pH level of 3, 4 and 5 (each one were made before experiment), beans, soil, and pots. Eight bean plants were planted, two were watered with pH 6 and the other ones were each watered with pH 5, pH 4 and pH 3 vinegar. The results were that beans watered with pH 3 shrunk and began to die, pH 4 beans were growing at a slow rate, beans watered with pH 5 grew at a fairly normal pace and pH 6 grew the fastest. Overall, the more acidic the environment, the harder it is for plants to survive.

IntroductionAcidity is the quality or state of being acid; pH below 7. Exploring the different levels of acidity affect plant growth and development, the process of germination must occur to see the affects upon the growth of the beans. Germination is the process whereby seeds or spores sprout and begin to grow. With the acidity expressed with pH levels is the measure of acidity or alkalinity of a solution, in depth the measure of the activity of dissolved hydrogen ions (H+). Following these concepts is the process of "normal" plant growth. Plants require nutrients for growth. Their process depends on the essential nutrients of abundant sunlight, water, fertile soil, and minerals6. To investigate how the plants respond to changes in the acidity of their environments, photosynthesis is another significant concept involved. Photosynthesis is the a process by which energy from the sun is trapped by chlorophyll and...