Investigation: How Much Water Is In a Plant?

grapes

Premises:

1. All living organisms consist mostly of water.
2. The adult human body is about 60% water.
3. As much as 95% of the weight of some plants is due to the amount of water they contain.

Experimental Question: Which organic material has the greatest percentage of water: grass, grapes, or carrot?

State Your Hypothesis:

Materials Needed

Collecting Data

1. Weigh a handful of grass clippings then set them on a newspaper.
2. Weigh four grapes, then cut them in half and place on newspaper to dry.
3. Weigh a single carrot then cut into strips and set out to dry.
4. Weigh all the materials after they have dried overnight.

Data Table & Analysis

equation

  Fresh (g) Dried (g) Water Lost (g) Percent Water
grass        
grapes        
carrot        

1. Which material contained the most water (percentage)? How do you know?

 

2. Grass is a leaf, grapes are fruits, and a carrot is a root. Based on the data of this lab, do different parts of the plant contain more water than others? Suggest a reason for this.

 

 

3. A bag of popcorn kernels weighs 22 grams, and after popping them, the popcorn is weighed. The weight of the popcorn is 16 grams. Explain why the popcorn weighs less than the popcorn kernels.

 

 

4. Do your results confirm any of the 3 initial premises in this investigation? Explain reasons why your results may be different.