Procedure 1

The experiment involved six vials.  The first two are filled with only 25 germinating peas.  The next two vials are filled with non-germinating dry peas and beads.  Since the dry peas take up less volume than the germinating peas, something must be used to occupy the extra space within the vile.   This is where the beads come in.  A certain number of beads is added into the vile with the dry peas.  To determine the number of beads needed, we first filled a graduated cylinder with 50 mL of water.  After we added 25 germinating peas, we recorded the volume of peas and water in the cylinder.  For sake of example, lets say the graduated cylinder read 75 mL after we added the germinating peas.  We then emptied the cylinder and once again filled it with 50 mL of water.  After adding 25 dry peas, lets say the volume was 71 mL.  We then added enough beads so that the volume of the cylinder read 75 mL again.  We then knew how many beads to add in order to compensate for the extra volume.  The last two vials of the experiment consisted of beads.  These vials served as the control for the experiment.  Because beads do not respire (or at least are not supposed to), the reading on the respirometer would only be affected by outside pressure and not pressure resulting from respiration as well.   With the control vials, we were able to compensate atmospheric pressure changes and record more accurate results.                                                                                                                                                 (getting out the vials and preparing for the count)

   The KOH seen here is used to remove the CO2 from the respiration equation.  With the CO2   removed from the experiment, the respirometer will show only changes in respiration due to the amount of O2.   the KOH was placed in the vial without being a contaminant through the use of absorbant and non-absorbant cotton.  The absorbant cotton is first saturated with KOH and then placed at the bottom of the vial.  It is important not to get any KOH on the side of the vial for it would come in contact with the Peas.  After the absorbant cotton is placed on the bottom of the vial, non-absorbant cotton is placed over it as a barrier between the absorbant cotton and the Peas.

(here, we are just beginning to count out the beads in preparing to place them in the vials)