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Big Question

Will food coloring travel through a flower stem?

I am going to find out if food coloring is added to water whether or not it will the change the color of the

flower.

Hypothesis

• The water will travel from the glass to the flower making it change color.

• Just like water, food coloring will travel up the stem and into the flower.

5 interesting facts

• 1. The carnation, dianthus caryophyllus, is one of the oldest known plants in the world, with its roots from the Mediterranean.

• 2. Both the ancient Greeks and the Romans cultivated the plants for use in flower garlands for décor and art.

• 3. The carnation is a perennial plant that comes in many colors.

• 4. The white carnation evolved during modern times as the color palette of the plant expanded.

• 5. Today, the carnation carries various meanings and associations.

Experiment

• Materials:

• Four vases

• Four white carnations

• Water

• Food coloring

Experiment

• Step-by-step instructions

• 1. Pour water into each vase.

• 2. Add three to four drops of food coloring into each vase.

• 3. Cut the stem into half lengthwise from the bottom to halfway up the flower.

• 4. Place a flower in each vase.

• 5. Let the flower stand in the water for 48 hours.

Experiment

• Control/variables stated

• Control group is the carnation that did not get food coloring.

• The variables in this experiment are the different food colorings: red, blue, yellow, and green.

4 Observations

1. This experiment took 48 hours.

2. The colors turned out pretty.

3. Some flowers took longer to change color.

4. The longer the flowers were in the food coloring and water the more they changed color.

• The first 24 hours of the experiment there were not a lot of color changes occurring in the flowers. The first part of the flower to change color was the edges and gradually the whole flower began to change to the color of food coloring placed in each vase.

• Did the experiment test your hypothesis?• Yes, but I thought the flowers would

change colors faster. The change took place over several days, and I thought it would take two days.

• How did you know?• The experiment took longer than I had

predicted.

• Was your hypothesis correct? Yes.

• What would you change in the experiment and why?

• I would change the amount and colors of food coloring added to each flower. I might try adding several colors to one flower to see what changes would occur.

• What are some new questions you have?

• I still wonder exactly how this works.

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