Oxygen in water
Water holds dissolved oxygen, the supply a germinating seed draws on for the cell respiration that gives it the energy to grow.
The science behind this experiment
An important factor affecting germination is the oxygen concentration available to the seed. Sufficient oxygen must be present for cell respiration to provide adequate energy for germination, because germinating seeds are very metabolically active.
Respiration occurs during germination breaking down storage materials and sugars and converting them to other forms more useful to the seed.
Oxygen may be limiting in heavy soils such as clay or flooded conditions which in turn will affect seed germination. In the next experiment it will be shown how the lack of oxygen will lead germinating seeds to rot.
Equipment used
- Iron stand — CHE-037
- Universal clamp — HEA-010
- Right angle clamp — PLA-016
- Glass tube 34×190 mm — PLA-005
- Glass delivery tube — PLA-006
- Rubber stopper with hole — PLA-022
- Large rubber stopper — PLA-021
- Connection for glass tube — PLA-020
- Mohr's clip — PLA-018
Chemicals and reagents
- Distilled water
- Vaseline
Questions for students
- Observe and try to give an explanation.
What to expect
An evolution of some bubbles indicates the presence of air dissolved in the water. Furthermore it indicates that the solubility of the gas depends on the pressure, as a matter of fact rising the small tube.
Run this experiment in your classroom
This experiment is part of ATP Volta — a self-contained mobile science lab that turns an ordinary classroom into a working STEM laboratory, with over 200 experiments in physics, chemistry, biology, robotics and engineering. Gali, the AI tutor built into ATP Connect, guides students through each step and answers their questions at the bench.
See the ATP Volta mobile science labTalk to our team