7th Grade Science Projects On Mold
Science projects on mold are a fun and popular way to practice conducting scientific experiments. Mold is a type of fungus that grows and congeals to form cottony layers. Mold experiments are inexpensive and fairly easy, and they produce fascinating results.
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Growing Bread Mold
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The most basic and probably the most common mold project involves growing mold spores on bread. For this experiment, begin with a slice of bread. With a cotton swab, wipe up some dust off the ground or another particularly dusty area and transfer the dust to the bread. Add a few drops of water to the bread. Place the bread into an airtight bag and seal it. If possible, insert the bread bag into a just-finished milk carton with some remaining milk drops, and seal the carton with tape. Store the container in a safe place and hypothesize about how fast mold will grow and what it will look like. Check the bag each day, but do not remove the bag from the carton or open the bag. Record your results. After your experiment is finished, throw away the entire apparatus without touching the mold with your hands.
Mold Farm
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Mold grows on more than just bread. To investigate the different types of mold that grow on different substances, build a simple mold farm. Start with a large, clean, empty jar. Place a slice of apple and a slice of orange in the jar, followed by a few leaves, a piece of bread, tree bark and a slice of bacon. Add a wet paper towel and close the jar, screwing the lid down tightly. Place your mold farm in a sunny, warm location and leave it there. Hypothesize about what substance will accumulate the most mold and how fast the mold will grow. After a week, test your hypothesis by looking at the contents of the jar and noting any mold present. After a month, check again and record the types of mold on each object, as well as the extent of the mold on each substance in the jar.
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Mold Growth Race
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This experiment investigates how fast mold grows, and whether mold growth speed depends on the substance it is growing on. Select three substances to test: a vegetable such as a carrot, a fruit such as an orange, and a grain item such as bread. Obtain three clear containers or jars, and insert a substance into each. Close the containers tightly and store them in a cool, dark place such as a closet or cupboard. Hypothesize about which substance will grow mold most rapidly. Check mold growth each day, recording how many days pass before mold growth begins and how quickly mold grows on each item.
Light and Temperature
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Does mold grow better in warm or cold conditions? Does the level of light play a role in mold growth? Conduct a mold experiment to test these questions. Begin with four slices of bread placed in four clear, sealed containers. Put one bread slice in a warm, bright location, like a sunny windowsill. Place the second slice in a warm, dark location, such as a cardboard box by a heater. Place the third slice in a cold, bright location -- for example, in a cupboard with a lamp placed beside it and left on. The fourth slice of bread should be placed in a cold, dark location, such as underneath the kitchen sink. Form hypotheses about the results. Check back each day and record the results of your experiment.
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References
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