Help with a science fair pro. covering the underside of leaves with vasoline. They aren't dying like we thougt

Question

Help with a science fair pro. covering the underside of leaves with vasoline. They aren't dying like we thougt

Answer 1

I will guess that you intended to smother the plant (prevent it from breathing) by covering the undersides of the leaves. While it is true in many plants that there are more stomata (breathing holes) on the undersides of leaves, there are also stomata on the tops of leaves. Perhaps there are enough stomata on the top of the leaf to allow the plant to continue to live...or to last longer (and slowly die) compared with what you expected.

Answer 2

Make sure you have a control subject to compare the vaseline covered leaves to. It still make take a while for them to die, but faster than leaves not covered with vaseline.



Even if what you predicted doesn't happen, it doesn't mean it is a bad, or wrong, sciene project. As long as you follow the scientific method, you should still make a good grade on it.

Answer 3

Is it possible that by covering the bottom of the leaf you have in a sense preserved it.



Cover an entire leaf with vasoline,,,one just the bottom and one not at all.