Once you've completed the early steps of the scientific method as explained in Understanding and Using the Scientific Method, you'll be ready to start your experiment.
Remember to work carefully and in a logical manner. Try not to knock over any of the glasses, and be sure that you write the correct names of the liquids on the glasses. Water, club soda, and white vinegar all look pretty much the same, but they may have very different effects on bean seeds.
The stages of seed germination.
The stages of seed germination.
Using the permanent marker, label each of the six cups with the name of the liquid it will contain.
Place the cups on the tray or shallow pan.
Pour 8 fluid ounces (240 ml) of water (your control liquid) into the cup labeled water.
Pour 8 fluid ounces (240 ml) of each of the other liquids into its proper cup.
Open the package of seeds and divide them evenly into six piles. You might have a few seeds left over that you won't use.
Slowly add the seeds from the first pile into the cup labeled water.
Continue putting the other piles of seeds into each of the five remaining cups.
Place the tray with the cups where you can easily observe the seeds. You'll want to keep the temperature as constant as possible, so make sure the seeds are in an area where there are no drafts. And, make sure the seeds won't get bumped or knocked over.
Keep a daily record of your observations. To do so, write down how many seeds are in each cup, and how many seeds break their shells and begin growing, or germinating, every day. Use the first chart shown in the next section, “Keeping Track of Your Experiment,” to help you to record your observations.
A week after you placed the seeds in the various liquids, measure each sprout in centimeters. If your seeds haven't sprouted yet, sit tight and begin measuring them at two weeks. You'll need to record the length (in centimeters) of each sprout in every cup. You can make it easier to measure the sprouts by removing each one, placing it on a paper towel, and measuring its length with a metric ruler. Once you've measured every sprout, you'll need to figure out the average length of the sprouts in each liquid.