10.+The+Isolation+Tank

= **// The Isolation Tank //** =

**Question:** Do mealworms grow bigger when they are in a nocturnal environment?

**Materials:** - a dark box with a lid punched with small holes - oatmeal

**Manipulated Variables:** There are none

**Responding Variables:** The size of the mealworm

The nocturnal environment will have a positive effect on a mealworm's growth and it will grow larger more quickly because of this environment.
 * Hypothesis: **

**Predictions:** Sara Belliveau: The mealworm will not grow bigger because he is alone and in the dark Sarah Blackadar: The mealworm will not grow bigger. His growth will be stunted because of the lack of light. Carol Burroughs: Mealworms grow bigger because they are noctural. Emily Jay: The mealworm will grow bigger because they don't like light.

**Plan/Procedure:**
 * 1)   Place oatmeal in the bottom of the box
 * 2)   Measure and record the length of the mealworm
 * 3)   Place the mealworm in the box
 * 4)   Leave the mealworm for four weeks, lifting the lid only once a day to feed it a small piece of apple
 * 5)   Measure the mealworm every Monday and Wednesday

**Controlled Variables:**  - The mealworm's container stayed the same   - The location of the container stayed the same   - The mealworm was fed the same amount of food as the other mealworms   - The mealworm was fed at the same daily and frequency as the other mealworms **Observations, Data, Tables, Graphs**
 * **Date** || **Length** ||
 * 2011-01-26 || 1.8 cm ||
 * 2011-01-31 || 1.9 cm ||
 * 2011-02-02 || 2 cm ||
 * 2011-02-07 || 2.2 cm ||
 * 2011-02-09 ||  ||
 * 2011-02-14 ||  ||
 * 2011-02-16 || 2.2 cm ||
 * 2011-2-23 || 2.0 cm ||
 * 2011-2-23 || 2.0 cm ||

**Conclusion:**  It appears that our mealworm did inf act grow at a rate of approximately 1 mm per week until the week of 2011-02-07 where it seemed to stop growing. This leads us to believe that mealworms are not stunted in growth when in a nocturnal environment however it is still inconclusive as to whether this environment helps them grow. **Comments:**  It would have been helpful if we had chosen a control mealworm of the same size when beginning this experiement to compare the experiemntal worm's growth against.