Which substance Which substance help cut flowers help cut flowers to live longer?to live longer?

By: Jonathan Valenzuela,By: Jonathan Valenzuela,

Andy Fuentes Andy Fuentes

Materials Materials

6 empty containers6 empty containers 3 teaspoons of sugar3 teaspoons of sugar 6 Flowers with stems and leaves6 Flowers with stems and leaves 3 teaspoons of Aspirin3 teaspoons of Aspirin

procedureprocedure

One cup of water was added to each of the One cup of water was added to each of the six containers. six containers.

Added to each container was one of the Added to each container was one of the following:following:

½ teaspoon of either sugar or ground ½ teaspoon of either sugar or ground aspirinaspirin

1 teaspoon of either sugar or ground 1 teaspoon of either sugar or ground aspirinaspirin

1½ teaspoon of either sugar or ground 1½ teaspoon of either sugar or ground aspirinaspirin

Day 1Day 1

The leaves of the flowers in all 3 The leaves of the flowers in all 3 containers with aspirin changed containers with aspirin changed from green to a brownish color.from green to a brownish color.

The leaves in the containers with The leaves in the containers with sugar, turned yellow at the tips.sugar, turned yellow at the tips.

Day 2Day 2

Flowers with sugar had a touch of Flowers with sugar had a touch of

brown on the yellowing sections at brown on the yellowing sections at the edge of the leaf.the edge of the leaf.

In all 3 containers, the flowers with In all 3 containers, the flowers with aspirin had a larger brown area than aspirin had a larger brown area than previously.previously.

Photos Day 2Photos Day 2

½ tsp aspirin 1½ tsp aspirin1 tsp aspirin

½ tsp sugar 1½ sugar1 tsp sugar

Day 3Day 3

The flowers with aspirin had The flowers with aspirin had completely brown leaves and half of completely brown leaves and half of the stems were brown.the stems were brown.

The leaves on the containers with The leaves on the containers with sugar were equally brown, yellow sugar were equally brown, yellow and green. The stems remain green. and green. The stems remain green.

Photos Day 3Photos Day 3

½ tsp aspirin 1½ tsp aspirin1 tsp aspirin

½ tsp sugar 1½ sugar1 tsp sugar

Day 4Day 4

The stems of the flowers with sugar The stems of the flowers with sugar were still green and the leaves were were still green and the leaves were 1/4 brown.1/4 brown.

The stems of the flowers with aspirin The stems of the flowers with aspirin were completely brown and so were were completely brown and so were the leaves. the leaves.

Photos Day 4Photos Day 4

½ tsp aspirin 1½ tsp aspirin1 tsp aspirin

½ tsp sugar 1½ sugar1 tsp sugar

Day 5Day 5

The leaves on the flowers with sugar The leaves on the flowers with sugar were ½ brown. Stems and petals were ½ brown. Stems and petals remained fresh and green.remained fresh and green.

The leaves on the flowers with The leaves on the flowers with aspirin were totally brown and dry. aspirin were totally brown and dry. Stems and petals are dead. Stems and petals are dead.

Photos Day 5Photos Day 5

½ tsp aspirin 1½ tsp aspirin1 tsp aspirin

½ tsp sugar 1½ sugar1 tsp sugar

ConclusionConclusion

What we proved is that sugar substances will What we proved is that sugar substances will keep flowers alive longer because sugar keep flowers alive longer because sugar provides nourishment to living things in the provides nourishment to living things in the form of fructose, glucose and lactose (C12 form of fructose, glucose and lactose (C12 H22 O11). This is a carbohydrate group. We H22 O11). This is a carbohydrate group. We speculated on the amount of aspirin, which speculated on the amount of aspirin, which proved to be too much. Large doses of proved to be too much. Large doses of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) cause acid based aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) cause acid based imbalance. This created more of a chemical imbalance. This created more of a chemical decomposition than organic. So sweeten your decomposition than organic. So sweeten your flowers if you want them to live longer. flowers if you want them to live longer.

Final PicturesFinal Pictures

Aspirin group

½ tsp sugar 1½ sugar1 tsp sugar

chartchart

green/yellow 1

gree/yellow/1/4 brown 2

1/2 brown 3

3/4 brown 4

brown 5

brown drop 6

brown dry 7

petals and stems dry 8

OBSERVATIONS OF SUGAR AND ASPIRIN EXPERIMENT

  Days 1 2 3 4 5 6

Quantity              

1/2 tsp sugar   1 1 2 2 3 3

1 tsp sugar   1 1 2 2 3 3

1 1/2 tsp sugar   1 1 2 2 3 3

1/2 tsp aspirin   2 4 6 7 8 8

1 tsp aspirin   2 4 6 7 8 8

1 1/2 aspirin   2 4 6 7 8 8

Effects of sugar and aspirin substances

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0 5 10 15

number of days

life

sp

an

Y (dependent)