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Zoology Science Fair Project

Ants and Light vs. Darkness

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Ants and Light vs. Darkness | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Do ants dig more tunnels in the dark or in the light? Many insects behave differently depending on the amount of light around them. This project compares ant work habits under two conditions. You set up two glass jar observatories and add 25 ants to each. One jar stays in the light. The other sits in the dark for the same amount of time. Afterward, you compare how many tunnels were dug and dirt mounds built in each jar. The results show whether darkness changes how hard ants work.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that ants will react differently in the dark than in the light.

Method & Materials

You will make two observatories, fill them with soil, and place 25 ants in each. One observatory will be kept in the dark for a specified amount of time, while the other will be kept in the light.
You will need two glass jars, soil, and 25 ants.

Results

After the experiment, it was observed that the ants in the dark observatory had dug more tunnels and built more dirt mounds than the ants in the light observatory.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it allows us to observe the behavior of ants in different environments.

Also Consider

Variations to consider include testing the effects of different colors of light on the ants, or testing the effects of different temperatures on the ants.

Full project details

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

Related video

These videos explain the science behind this project and demonstrate key concepts used in the experiment.
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