Proposal

Today I finished my intern application. It took me nearly all weekend to write and but tonight i checked it over a million times and I'm ready to turn it in. I'll probably still add a few finishing touches after I show it to Ms. Minn tomorrow in class. Here are the questions

B.  Please describe of the topic you wish to study.  Include a complete description of the 2 variables you plan to study and how these two variables are related to one another.  You may complete this on a separate page and attach it or may use additional space.

            The topic I’m going to study is the effect acid rain has on the photosynthesis rate of primroses. The two variables I will study are primroses and acid rain. I chose primroses to represent land plants and acid rain is the different water pollutants. Acid rain is a very harmful and dangerous pollutant in our environment. Acid rain hurts many different plants. When the plant absorbs the acid rain it’s taking in more gas instead of water. This can ruin the plants photosynthesis, slowing it down until it stops and the plant dies. Acid rain is made up of different gases in the air. Gasses with acid travel from the factories through the sky and get absorbed by the rain clouds to form acid rain. Some of the acidic gasses in acid rain are sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone. There are different ph levels of acid rain, the lower the ph level the more acidic the rain is.

             The primrose flower is a small common flower. Primroses are mostly found in Europe. Primroses are in the primula family. The primula family has over five hundred different kind of plants, a small portion of them flower. Primroses grow everywhere, they grow wild, and in gardens. Why a flower? Why not a normal plant? Flowers just like any other plant has photosynthesis, so it’s still producing oxygen for us to breath. I chose the primrose partially because I like flowers and they are aesthetically pleasing. But flowers also benefit our environment in different ways then other plants can. Plants with flowers have a different group of wildlife that they affect. Without flowers bugs that need pollen to survive will die-off. Pollination is important and you can’t get it unless you have a flowering plant. Flowers are the starting point for a whole different cycle. Without flowers bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds would have no other way of getting food, they cant get pollen from a plain green plant they need a nice flowering one.

            The relationship between acid rain and the primrose is many different plants are affected by acid rain. The water that our environment absorbs is different water pollution like highway runoff or factory gases. When the flowers take in toxins and they then die insects and birds loose there food source. Then the small animals that ate the birds or bugs don’t have any food. Then in the end the whole food cycle will be at a loss.

C.  Please include your experimental question and the hypothesis you have formulated to answer the question.  Identify the independent and dependent variable.

My experimental question is will acid rain affect the photosynthesis rate of primroses? My hypothesis is if you add acid rain to primroses then it will slow down the photosynthesis rate of the primrose. My independent variable is the acid rain. My dependent variable is the primrose.

D.  Explain what you predict the results will be from your experiment.  Include a brief explanation as to why you are making this prediction.

I predict that the acid rain will slow down the photosynthesis rate of the primroses. The primrose that is watered with plain water photosynthesis rate will be quicker then the primroses being watered with the acid rain. This will result in more oxygen in the closed container of the primrose watered with plain water. I predict this because pollution and toxins that are gathered by plants aren’t a substitution for water. If the plant is getting less water with chemicals it will stutter the rate of the plants photosynthesis.

E.  Describe the experimental procedure that you think you will need to conduct to find your results. 

In my experiment I am going to find out how much acid rain the plant can have until its photosynthesis stops working. I’m am trying to figure out what affect acid rain will have on the primroses over time. I’m going to have 5 primroses. Each primrose will have a higher ph level of acid. The 1st primrose I’ll water it with plain water, the 2^nd one I’ll put ph 4, the 3^rd one ill put ph 3 in it, 4^th one ill put ph 2. Each primrose will get 150 ml of the acidic water. I’m going to put each primrose in a closed container, and then I will measure the amount of oxygen in the container using an oxygen probe. Every day I’ll take pictures and observations every day.