Do cooked beans grow better than uncooked beans? Some scientists believe that slightly cooking a bean before planting will allow the bean to absorb water. They also believe that cooking a bean kills bacteria that may be present on the seed. Kids can test this free experiment by slightly cooking bean seeds before planting them. Uncooked seeds should also be planted as a comparison group. Based on the results, your child will be able to answer the question posed by the experiment. Ask him or her to research why this is so and write up his or her conclusions, using the results of his or her own experiment as scientific proof.
Do some types of food grow mold faster than others? Common household items can be used for this experiment, making it almost free. Place a glass of milk, a banana, a piece of bread, and a slice of cheese in separate containers. Make sure none of the samples has any mold growing on it. Place the food in an unrefrigerated cupboard. Let the food sit for several days, checking each day for signs of mold. After several days your kids will know which type of food grows mold the fastest. When the answer becomes apparent, have your child research the mold formation process for this particular food and then write up the results of his or her research, using his or her own experiment as scientific proof.
Does salt affect the boiling temperature of water? Your child can test this question by simply boiling water. First, boil one quart of distilled water without salt. Use a cooking thermometer to record the temperature of the boiled water. Then, add table salt to one quart of distilled water (which contains no salt). Boil the water and document the boiling point temperature of the salt-free water, which should differ from that of salt water. Have your child research the reason for this boiling point temperature difference, then write up his or her conclusions, using his or her own experiment as scientific proof.