Name: ______________________________________________ Date: __________ Block: _______
Pinto Seed Lab
Objective: In this research project you will be determining if dry seeds and/or wet seeds are alive.
Question: _______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Hypothesis: If, ___________________________________________________________________
then, ____________________________________________________________________________
because__________________________________________________________________________
Null Hypothesis: __________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Back ground Information:
What type of bean is it? A pinto bean is the most common bean in the
United States and northwestern Mexico. It is most often eaten whole in broth, or
mashed and refried. Either whole or mashed, it is a common filling for burritos.
The dry beans you will be using for this lab have been purchased from the
grocery store, just as you would find them. The wet beans, however, have been
soaked in tap water for several hours.
With this information, use the following procedure to collect data to help you
answer your question and hypothesis.
Procedure:
1. Obtain 30 dry seeds and 30 wet seeds.
2. Observe the seeds and notice that there are differences between them. You may use a
dissecting microscope to observe the seeds. Make a drawing of one wet and one dry seed.
a. Drawings should be in the space provided.
b. Make sure you record the magnification (for example: 4x or 10x) you use to make
your observation on your drawings.
c. Label all parts of the seeds you drew. You may have to refer to the resources
provided for detail.
3. Cut one wet and one dry seed in half with a scalpel from the dissecting kit. Be very careful.
The dry seeds are difficult to cut.
4. Observe the cut seeds. You may use a dissecting microscope to observe the seeds. Make
a drawing of the inside of the cut seeds.
5. Complete the table provided to record measurable data obtained from your seed.
TABLE 1: DRY PINTO SEED OBSERVATIONS
Dry Pinto Seed
Mass (g)
Length (mm)
Width (mm)
Color
Texture
----------------------
----------------------
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Average
When you are finished collecting your data, please clean up your lab space and leave it in the
condition that you found it.
Whole Dry Pinto Seed Illustration
Half (Cut) Dry Pinto Seed Illustration
Magnification_________
Magnification_________
Whole Wet Pinto Seed Illustration
Half (Cut) Wet Pinto Seed Illustration
Magnification_________
Magnification_________
TABLE 2: WET PINTO SEED OBSERVATIONS
Wet Pinto Seed
Mass (g)
Length (mm)
Width (mm)
Color
Texture
----------------------
----------------------
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Average
When you are finished collecting your data, please clean up your lab space and leave it in the
condition that you found it.
TABLE 3: IMPACT OF WATER ON A PINTO SEEDS MASS (g), LENGTH (mm) AND WIDTH (mm)
Mass (g)
Descriptive Statistics
Dry Seed
Wet Seed
Length (mm)
Dry Seed
Wet Seed
Width (mm)
Dry Seed
Wet Seed
Mean
Median
Mode
Range
Standard Deviation
Results of T-Test
Data Analysis: Review the data that you have collected. Create Graphs to compare means for dry
and wet pinto seeds for mass, length and width.
1. On average, which type of bean had the greater mass? ______________________________________
2. On average, which type of been had the greater length? _____________________________________
3. On average, which type of been had the greater width? ______________________________________
4. Did the color of the beans appear different between the two types? Explain. ______________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
5. Did the texture of the seed change from dry to wet? Explain. __________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
6. Which variable(s) were quantitative data? ________________________________________________
7. Which variable(s) were qualitative data? __________________________________________________
8. Why did you measure your data in grams and millimeters instead of pounds and inches? ___________
__________________________________________________________________________________
9. Identify the control in this experiment. ____________________________________________________
10. Identify the constants in this experiment. _________________________________________________
11. Identify the Independent Variable in this experiment. ________________________________________
12. Identify the Dependent Variables in this experiment. ________________________________________
13. Why is the number of trials important in an experiment? For example, why did you test 30 beans of
each type instead of only one or two? ____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
14. What is the difference between dry, wet and dormant seed? __________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
15. What is meant by germination? _________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
16. What is the difference between precision and accuracy? _____________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
17. Can you represent precision and accuracy with a scientific model?
18. Are your measurements precise and/ or accurate? Explain why? ______________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
Conclusion
In paragraph form, answer all questions and explain the data using the bulleted points below as a guideline.

What was the purpose/significance of this experiment?

Explain if your hypothesis (s) was accepted or rejected with supportive evidence and explain if your null
hypothesis (s) is failed to reject or rejected with supportive evidence (remember the null hypothesis is failed
to reject or rejected based on the T-test only).
Example:

o
“The means of the experimental groups were significantly different (P<0.05).”
o
“There was no statistically significant difference between the means of ___ & ___ (P>0.05).”
Give evidence for the claim (refer to the data and statistical tests). This is an important explanation and the
main purpose of the conclusion. Explain how the data support the claim. Never leave it up to your reader
to draw connections. Include information about the characteristics of life. Tell us the science behind
why the IV had this effect (or lack thereof) on the DV.

Explain unusual results and/or possible errors in procedures and/or limitations of the experiment.

Future Directions:

o
Improvements to the procedure, sample size, etc. (be realistic)
o
Improvements to the statistical analysis
Further research questions raised and relationship to content material.
Reference in APA format
Include 2 sources other than your lab sheets and textbook must be cited in APA format. Use citation machine
at: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resources/560/07/