Does Caffeine Affect Plant Growth Experiment

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My hypothesis for this experiment was that a increased caffeine rate would negatively affect plant growth and well being. I thought this because caffeine is a basic substance and increased base in large quantities is known to negatively affect plant growth. My data proved my point to be accurate because in the increased base(more caffeinated) trials the plants grew slower, weaker, and they had a decreased germination rate as well as health issues. The average height of the control group on day three was 19mm, in comparison the average height of the group that had been watered with an added 400mg of caffeine in their total water supply was 0 mm on day three. On day 7 the control groups height averaged 107mm while the 400 mg group only averaged at 22.0 mm.
One thing I could have done to improve my experiment was to have used a more secure lid on the growth tray to have ensured that all moisture would have stayed in the appropriate area. This makes me less confident about my data because there is a possibility that it could have disrupted the moisture levels in the soil and could have minorly diluted or concentrated …show more content…

Though my family and I speculate that these are fillers meant for the original pill format, there is a possibility these were undissolved particles of the caffeine powder. Though only small amounts of these particulates were left at the bottom there is a possibility that they could have had a small effect on the amount of caffeine in the water. If I were to do this experiment again, I would most likely us a tool or small, handheld blender to blend in the particulates. Another thing I would possibly consider doing is buying either pre-powdered caffeine with none of the sinking residues or buying a tablet that is known to be 100% filler

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