
Bread Mold and Growing Conditions
Easy
Does mold grow faster in a warm place or a cold one? Mold is a simple fungus that feeds on food sources like bread. Tiny spores (seed-like particles) land on the surface and start growing when conditions are right.
You rub a cotton swab covered in household dust across a piece of bread. Then you add a few drops of water and seal the bread inside a plastic bag. Place the bag in a warm spot and check it every day.
Within a few days, fuzzy patches of mold appear on the bread. You can test different conditions by placing bags in warm and cold spots. You can also compare fresh bread to stale bread.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that mold requires moisture and warmth to grow.
Method & Materials
You will collect dust on a cotton swab, rub it on a piece of bread, add water, put the bread in a bag, and wait for the mold to appear.
You will need an eye dropper, a Ziploc® bag, a piece of bread, a cotton swab, masking tape, and water.
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See what’s includedResults
The results of this experiment show that mold grows faster on bread when it is wet and warm.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting and unique because it allows you to observe the growth of mold in a controlled environment.
Also Consider
Experiment variations to consider include trying to grow mold on toast and testing different temperatures to see how it affects the growth of mold.
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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