2.1 Practical Investigation

1
2.1 Practical Investigation
2
Practical Investigation Ideas

• Micro-organisms
• Do different types of bacteria grow on different
  foods?
• What is the effect of temperature on the growth
  rate of bacteria?
• What factors affect the effectiveness of
  preservatives on the growth of bacterial
  colonies?
• Do bread yeast and wine yeast respond in the same
  way to ethanol?
• What is the effect on the density of soil
  bacteria of incorporating different types of
  organic matter into soil?
• Investigate succession on a piece of bread

3
Practical Investigation Ideas

• Plants
• What factors affect the germination of sunflower
  seeds?
• What is the effect of wavelength of light on
  plant growth?
• What is the effect of wavelength of light on the
  rate of photosynthesis?
• What is the effect of light colour on the growth
  of seedlings?
• What is the effect of different mineral nutrients
  on seedling growth?
• What is the effect of different brands and types
  of fertilisers on seedling growth?
• What is the effect of salt tolerance on seed
  germination?
• What is the effect of wind (none, intermittent,
  constant) on plant growth?

4
Practical Investigation Ideas

• Does the effectiveness of different brands of
  weed killer vary?
• Is weed control dependent on the concentration of
  the weedicide?
• Does planting depth affect the rate of
  germination in clover and pea seeds?
• Does soil type affect the germination of clover
  and pea seeds ?
• Does soil type affect the formation of roots on
  geranium cuttings?
• Is hormone rooting powder effective in promoting
  the rooting of cuttings?
• Does temperature affect germination of clover
  seeds?
• Investigate the distribution of lawn species in
  the sun and in the shade

5
Practical Investigation Ideas

• Cell chemistry
• Rate of enzyme action at different temperatures
• Transport
• Osmoregulation in Nereis sp.
• To measure the heat beat of Daphnia at different
  temperatures
• Compare the transpiration rate in different
  plants
• Respiration
• The effect of temperature on the rate of
  anaerobic respiration of glucose by yeast

6
Biological Concepts

• Enzyme activity
• Cell processes such as photosynthesis, protein
  synthesis, cellular respiration, mitosis
• Surface area versus volume ratio
• Transport diffusion, osmosis, active transport
• Patterns and interrelationships in populations
  and communities
• Transport in plants and animals

7
In the Past

• To see if different storage places have an effect
  on the sucrose concentration in potatoes
• To determine whether the sucrose concentration
  varies between different root vegetables.
• To find which river in the Nelson region has the
  highest density of micro invertebrates
• To find out what effect the texture of soil has
  on seed germination
• To find out, if the flow rate in a steam has an
  effect on the diversity and the abundance of
  bacteria and fungi found in the stream
• Does the temperature of sodium hydroxide have an
  effect on the rate of diffusion into agar?