Mealworms Practical

STAGE 1
Description Of Mealworms:
- Brown
- Thin
- Long
- Six Legs (Insect)
- Has Antennas
- Dry
- Smooth
- Has Segments

List Of Questions:
1) Do Mealworms Prefer noisy or quiet environments?
2) Do Mealworms Prefer Wet Or Dry Surfaces?
3) Do Mealworms Prefer Dark Or Bright Places?
4) Do Mealworms Prefer Cold Or Warm Places?
5) Do Mealworms Prefer To Huddle In Groups Or Be Alone?

STAGES 2, 3 & 4
Experiment 1: Do Mealworms Prefer Black Or White Surfaces?
Hypothesis: Mealworms Prefer Black Surfaces
Materials: Black And White Paper, 6 Mealworms

Procedures:
1) Put All 6 Mealworms In The Centre Of The Paper
2) Observe Them For 30 Seconds
3)Count The number Of Mealworms At Each part Of The Paper
4) Repeat The Experiment 3 Times

Independent Variable: Colour Of Surface
Dependant Variable: Number Of Mealworms
Control Variable: Amount Of Time Given For The Mealworms To Move

Observation:

Surface/ No. of Mealworms	1st Reading	2nd Reading	3rd Reading	Average
Black	3	4	3	3.0 (to 1 sig. fig.)
White	3	2	3	3.0 (to 1 sig. fig.)

Conclusion: Mealworms Have No Preference For Surface Colouring.
Reliability: We did the experiment 3 times to ensure the results are accurate.

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Experiment 2: Do Mealworms Prefer Light Or Dark Places?
Hypothesis: Mealworms Prefer Dark Places.
Materials: Black Box With Small Opening, Torchlight, Timer, 6 Mealworms

Procedures:
1) Put All 6 Mealworms In The Box
2) Shine The Torchlight Through The Opening At The Top Of The Box
3) Observe Them For 30 Seconds
4) Repeat The Experiment 3 Times

Independent Variable: Presence Of Light
Dependant Variable: Presence Of Mealworms
Control Variable: Amount Of Time Given For The Mealworms To Move

Observation:

All The Mealworms Moved To The Corners Of The Box, Where There Is No Light Present.

Conclusion: Mealworms Prefer Dark Places To Bright Places.
Reliability: We did the experiment 3 times to ensure the results are accurate.

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Experiment 3: Do Mealworms Prefer Being Touched By A Soft Brush Or Cotton Bud?
Hypothesis: Mealworms Prefer Being Touched By A Cotton Bud.
Materials: Soft Brush, Cotton Bud, 6 Mealworms

Procedures:
1) Put All 6 Mealworms In The Bowl
2) Gently Touch Each Of Them With The Soft Brush
3) Observe Them
4) Repeat The Experiment With Cotton Bud
5) Observe Them
6) Repeat The Whole Experiment 3 Times

Independent Variable: Type Of Touch
Dependant Variable: Reaction Of Mealworms
Control Variable: Amount Of Strength Used For Each Item

Observation:

The mealworms reacted very strongly to the soft brush by twitching their whole body. However, when the cotton bud was used, they just crawled forward.

Conclusion: Mealworms Prefer The Touch Of Cotton Bud To The Soft Brush.
Reliability: We did the experiment 3 times to ensure the results are accurate.