8th Grade Science Fair Idea: Magnetism And Plant Growth
Now agriculture is more important than ever to the continued existence of mankind. With so many people on the planet (around 6.6 billion according to one recent estimate), the failure of crops could have serious consequences for millions of people. For your 8th grade science fair, you can try to contribute to the general body of agricultural knowledge by testing whether magnetism and plant growth are related. Does Magnetism Affect Plant Growth? This kind of project is especially relevant if you live in a community where agriculture is a major way of life. In preparation for this science fair project, you will need three seeds or cuttings of three different kinds of plants (for a total of nine seeds of cuttings), nine pots filled with identical soil mixture, three ceramic magnets (the black ones used to stick notes to the refrigerator), and three rare-earth magnets (special magnets which are much stronger than ceramic magnets; these are available in electronics stores and hobby shops). You will also need to have metal stands to keep the magnets in place. To begin with, you should plant the seeds or cuttings, one in each pot. Divide the plants into three groups; each group should have there different types of seeds or cuttings. Set aside one group to become the control. The next group would become the ceramic magnet group. The last would be the rare-earth magnet group. Label each pot accordingly; note the name of the plant and the group to which it belongs. Using the stands, allocate one magnet to every one of the pots except those that belong to the control group. Naturally, you should use the ceramic magnet for the ceramic magnet group and the rare-earth magnet for the rare-earth magnet group. The distance between the pot and the magnet should be the same for all pots. Now, you should place all nine pots in an area where they can remain undisturbed and receive equal amounts of sunlight. Water them properly and use the same amount of water for each pot. Track the plants' growth and health daily. You should specifically note which plant sprouted first. Keep observing the plants for at least a month. At the end of the observation period, you should make a final comparison of the plants. Examine if plants of the same kinds that received different treatments (ceramic magnet, rare-earth magnet, no magnet) progressed differently. Examine, too, if there are differences in the progress of different plants which received the same treatment (again, ceramic magnet, rare-earth magnet and no magnet).
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