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Zoology Science Fair Project

Mealworm Respiration Rate

Hard
Mealworm Respiration Rate | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Can you watch a mealworm breathe without any high-tech equipment? You build a simple respirometer (a device that measures breathing) from a glass pipette and cotton. A drop of food coloring serves as the indicator. Potassium hydroxide inside the tube absorbs carbon dioxide. As the mealworm uses oxygen the air volume shrinks. A tiny dye bubble at the pipette tip moves inward to fill the gap. You measure how far the bubble travels every 30 seconds for five minutes. Using the distance and the tube's diameter you calculate how much oxygen the mealworm consumed. You can also test how temperature changes the breathing rate.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that the respiration rate of mealworms will increase with increased mass.

Method & Materials

You will use a respirometer, potassium hydroxide, cotton, food coloring, and other materials to measure the respiration rate of mealworms.
You will need a 9" Pasteur pipette, potassium hydroxide, non-absorbent cotton, an electronic balance, a mortar and pestle, food coloring, mealworms, vaseline, masking tape, metric rulers, a Petri dish/weighing tray, forceps, and a thin wooden applicator stick.

Results

The results of this experiment showed that the respiration rate of mealworms increased with increased mass. This suggests that the larger the mealworm, the more oxygen it needs to survive.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting and unique because it shows how to measure the respiration rate of mealworms using a respirometer and potassium hydroxide.

Also Consider

Experiment variations to consider include measuring the respiration rate of mealworms at different temperatures and measuring the respiration rate of different species of mealworms.

Full project details

Additional information and source material for this project are available below.

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