Experiment 8: Potatoes - Sweet? Salty? Regular?
Hypothesis: We hypothesized that the mealworms would prefer the sweet potato over the salty and regular potatoes.
Materials:
-3 equal size pieces of potato
-salt
-sugar
Procedures:
1. Cut three equal size pieces of potato. Sprinkle one with sugar, one with salt, and leave one plain.
2. Place the pieces of potato in the middle of the shoebox.
3. Put the lid back on the shoebox and check back 5 minutes later, 20 minutes later, and several hours later.
Observations:
5 minutes later:
-None of the mealworms were eating the sugar potato, one was eating the regular potato, and two
were eating the salty potato.
20 minutes later:
-None of the mealworms were eating the sugar potato or the regular potato; they were all eating the
salty potato.
Several hours later:
-All of the potatoes were eaten.
Conclusions: The mealworms prefer the salty potato over the sweet and regular potatoes.
Independent Variables: Size of the potatoes, placement of the potatoes, observation time.
Dependent Variables: Behaviour of the mealworms.
Hypothesis: We hypothesized that the mealworms would prefer the sweet potato over the salty and regular potatoes.
Materials:
-3 equal size pieces of potato
-salt
-sugar
Procedures:
1. Cut three equal size pieces of potato. Sprinkle one with sugar, one with salt, and leave one plain.
2. Place the pieces of potato in the middle of the shoebox.
3. Put the lid back on the shoebox and check back 5 minutes later, 20 minutes later, and several hours later.
Observations:
5 minutes later:
-None of the mealworms were eating the sugar potato, one was eating the regular potato, and two
were eating the salty potato.
20 minutes later:
-None of the mealworms were eating the sugar potato or the regular potato; they were all eating the
salty potato.
Several hours later:
-All of the potatoes were eaten.
Conclusions: The mealworms prefer the salty potato over the sweet and regular potatoes.
Independent Variables: Size of the potatoes, placement of the potatoes, observation time.
Dependent Variables: Behaviour of the mealworms.