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Does Rock Salt and Car Oil Affect Plant Growth?
by  Lina M.
* Hypothesis * Abstract * Materials * Procedure * Results * Conclusion * Bibliography & Links * 
 
Hypothesis 
 I think that both the car oil and rock salt will destroy the plant over a period of time. 
 
 
Abstract 
  I am doing my experiment on "Does Rock Salt and Car Oil Affect Plant Growth?" I chose this topic because as I was looking out of my car window going down the road, I wondered what  rock salt and car oil do to the grass.  I thought that both the car oil and rock salt would destroy the plants over a period of time.  I thought this because it seemed like a interesting project. 

 To do this experiment,   I potted and added the rock salt and car oil to water for the specific plant.   Then I poured in 60 milliliters of each mixture.  Next, I sat the pots 10 - 12 centimeters away from each other.  I covered the extra mixture such as the rock salt/water solution, car oil/water solution  and the regular water.  When necessary,  I watered the plants and check the plants to record the result. 

 The results I observed were not as I expected.  I  thought that the plant with the car oil and water will die first.  It turned out that the plant with the rock salt and water died first.  I think this information is valuable to help people when they are putting down rock salt.  Now they probably wont put down as much halite's.  By looking at my plant, they will know that the sidewalk is able to handle the rock salt. 
 
 
Materials   
 1. Three- 8 centimeter- standard plant pots
2. Three- small Curly Ficus plants 
3. Potting Soil 
4. 55 milliliters of car oil (10 W-30 ) every time you water the plants 
5. 133 grams of rock salt (halite) 
6. 6 liters 
7. Medium Sunlight, labels, markers 
 
Procedure   
1. Plant one Curly Ficus plant each, in a 8 centimeter pot.
2. Label one plant ìwater onlyî, another ìoilî, and another ìsaltî.
3. Mix 55 ml of car oil (10W-30)) in 2 liters of water. Shake well.
4. In a separate 2 liter bottle, put 1 liter of tap water only 
5. In another 2 liter bottle, mix 1 liter of tap water and 133 grams of rock salt. Shake  well.
6. Pour 60 ml of car oil in water over plant #1.
7. Pour 60 ml of water only over plant #2.
8. Pour  60 ml of water and rock salt (halite) over plant #3.
9. Place the pots 10-12 cm from each other in medium sunlight.
10. Make sure you keep solutions that you are going to use again covered.
11. Water plants twice weekly with solutions.
12. Check plants every other day and record results. 
Results   
Conclusion 
 I had three plants.  The plant with the oil and water is dying.  The leaves 
 are turning black brownish.  The branches and stems are growing downward and little white droplets are at the bottom of the plant.  The water only plant or plant #2 is growing as a normal, healthy, strong, plant would grow.  In fact, little stems, new growth, started to grow at the top.  The third plant is rock salt and water.  By now the leaves are all crumbled up and frosted like snowflakes.  The cup at the bottom that catches the water has turned into salt.  I thought that the oil and water plant would die by now.  I probably got the results for the oil and water because I  put enough car oil  in the water to represent the effect of oil droplets from cars on plants.   The rock salt and water had the results the way I expected because the pot is like the side walk and it turned white because of the rock salt.  I did not expect the rock salt plant to die faster than the oil and water plant.    
 
Bibliography & Links   
 Becklake, John. Pollution. Gloucester Press:  New York, 1990.
 

Breiter, Herta S. Pollution. Rain tree Children Books:  Milwaukee. 1992 
 

Hapgood, Fred. "The Quest for Oil". National Geographic Vol. 176,  No. 2, August 1989:  227-263. 
 

Hodgson, Bryan.  "Can the Wilderness Heal?" National Geographic Vol. 177, No. 1.  Jan 1990:  5-43. 
 

Nixon, Hershell J. Oil and Gas, From Fossils to Fuels. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich: New York, 1988 
 

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Lina M.
Timber Ridge Magnet School