Scientific Investigation Stage 3

Stage 3: Preliminary Experiment

Touch Aim: To find out how mealworms react to smooth and rough surfaces. Procedure: 1) Brush the mealworm with the brush for 10 seconds                   2) Repeat with the rest of the mealworms                   3) Repeat steps 1-2 with a cot Hypothesis: Mealworms will react more when touched with a cotton bud as the surface is rougher. Observation: When touched with the cotton bud, the mealworms react strongly and thrash about especially at the pointed end of their body. When touched with the brush, they have less reaction, and just squirm about. Light Aim: To find out how mealworms react to bright light Procedure: 1) Split the box into 2 with a small hole/opening in         between.                   2) Shine the light on one side. Hypothesis: Mealworms prefer the dark/will move to the dark side. Observation: The mealworm crawled through the hole, to the dark side. It took 1 min 11 seconds.

Smell: Aim: To find out how mealworms react to the smell of vinegar Procedure: 1) Place a mealworm in the tube with the vinegar, and another mealworm in the empty one.                   2) See which ones moves away. Hypothesis: The mealworm will avoid the vinegar. Observation: The one in the empty tube moved away, but the one with the cotton bud did not move at first, but then moved away. Sound: Aim: To find out how mealworms react to sound Procedure: 1) Place the tuning fork near one set of mealworms                   2) Observe their reactions Hypothesis: Mealworms avoid sound. Observation: They try to move away from the sound. However, some do not react.