Color Changing Plants Experiment
In this activity, you will
learn about how plants drink water and conduct an experiment.
Supplies Required
- 2 or more plant cuttings (can use leaves, celery stalks, romaine lettuce leaves)
- 2 or more colors of food coloring (one for each plant cutting)
- One cup or jar for each plant cutting
- Water
- Scissors
The Challenge
Plants drink water through a process called osmosis. Osmosis is the movement of a liquid into a living thing, creating a balance of that liquid. For example, if a plant needs water it will use osmosis to pull water through the roots until it has enough water to photosynthesize, or make food.
The plants take the water up to the top of the plant through capillary action. Water sticks to itself and climbs up and down the plant through tubes called the xylem and phloem, which are similar to our veins. The plant will draw the colored water up and some of the color molecules will stay in the upper parts of the plant, coloring the top of the stalks or flowers!
Problem and Hypothesis
[contact-form-7 id="18628" title="STEM book form SCI 1"]Let’s Experiment and Build!
Instructions
- With adult supervision, carefully trim the bottom end of your plant.
- Fill the cups with water to about halfway. Add 5 to 6 drops of food coloring and stir to mix.
- Place a plant into each cup. Make a prediction, what do you think is going to happen as the plant sits in the colored water?
- Make a prediction, do some colors change the plant more?
- Observe over a few days, record your observations and compare it with your prediction.
Experiment, Analysis, and Conclusion
[contact-form-7 id="18626" title="STEM book form SCI 2"]Think about it and Additional Resources
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#ColorChangingPlants
#ProjectExploration
#StemAtHome
Tag a friend and challenge them to do it, too!
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In this video, you will learn…
- About the science of growing plants