Pre-Lab: Acid Rain and Seeds
Problem How does acid rain affect seed germination?
Materials white vinegar, distilled water, large test tubes, test-tube rack, glass-marking pencil, 25-mL graduated cylinder, food coloring, pipette, pH paper, dried beans, paper towels, zip-close plastic bags, stick-on labels, hand lens
Lab Manual Chapter 6 Lab
Skills Focus Design an Experiment, Organize Data, Measure, Graph
Connect to the Every organism alters its environment in some way. Elephants uproot trees, prairie dogs dig tunnels, and corals build reefs. But no other organism has as much impact on the global environment as humans. One of the ways that humans affect global ecology is by burning fossil fuels. The burning produces carbon dioxide, which can accumulate in the atmosphere and cause climate change. Other products react with water to form nitric and sulfuric acids. Rain that contains these acids can damage many things, including stone statues and growing plants. In this lab, you will investigate the effect of acid rain on seeds.
Review What does a pH scale measure?
Review Which solution is more acidic, one with a pH of 4.0 or one with a pH of 5.0, and why?
Explain Use the water cycle to trace the path from acids in water vapor to plants.
Preview the procedure in the lab manual.
Design an Experiment What do you think the purpose is of adding food coloring to the vinegar in Part A?
Infer How will you know that a seed has germinated?
Using Models In this lab, what do the solutions represent?
Visit Chapter 6 online to test yourself on chapter content and to find activities to help you learn.
Untamed Science Video The Untamed Science crew visits a zoo to learn about the important work that goes on behind the scenes.
Art in Motion View a short animation of biological magnification.
Art Review Review your understanding of the various threats to biodiversity with this activity.
Visual Analogy Compare human impact on the biosphere to a footprint in this activity.
Data Analysis Simulate data collection in order to compare two sites, and learn how to calculate a biodiversity index to quantify biodiversity.