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Charlee Erickson

Mrs. Stevens

Physical Science

12 December 2018

How Do Different Energy Drinks Impact How Much a Sunflower Grows?

Throughout my life, I have heard that sugar is good for plants. If a plant is dying, you

should feed it sugar water. I have also heard that caffeine is bad for plants. I wanted to test if

sugar and caffeine would be able to grow plants. I thought that, if I planted sunflowers and

“watered” them with Rockstar, Bang, Redbull, and Monster, then Redbull would grow the most.

When Do Plants Grow More, at Night Or During the Day? Why?

Plants do not stop growing at night. Instead, they grow at the same rate(Willson). Plants

grow fastest in the dark. They do not grow in the light. Just before dawn is when plants like it

most(Kincaide). They grow faster just before dawn (Willson).

How Do You Accurately Measure Plant Growth?

Place a ruler next to the plant(Panduro). Do not measure from the top of the soil. Measure

from the top of the pot or container to the the top of the stem(Measuring). Check growth every

day(Panduro). If you can not check every day, check every 2-3 days(Measuring).

How Much Sugar, Caffeine, and What Kind of Vitamins Are in Each Energy Drink?

The difference in amount of sugar, between each of the energy drinks, is quite drastic.

The lowest amount of sugar is found in the Bang, which has 0 grams of sugar(BANG). The

highest amount of sugar is found in the Rockstar which has 60 grams of sugar(Rockstar). The

amount of caffeine in these drinks is alarming. The Redbull has 80 grams of caffeine(Redbull).

The Bang has 300 grams of caffeine(BANG). The Monster and the Rockstar have 160 grams
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each(Monster/Rockstar).

What Conditions Do Sunflowers Need to Grow in Winter?

Sunflowers are a summer crop(Panduro). They need warm soil(Harrington). They need a

hot spell. To grow sunflowers in winter, you might want to grow them inside and use a heat

lamp(Panduro). They need sunshine at all times. To start planting the sunflower, plant the seed a

half inch to an inch down in the soil(Harrington).

How Does Sugar Impact Plants Growth?

Sugar can hurt the plants ability to absorb nutrients. It will, then, slow the growth. The

plants won't be able to take in water as well(Panduro). Too much sugar will also lead to hurting

the plants. It will change its ability to take in the water that it needs. However, when a plant is

dying, it is a smart idea to feed it sugar water(Frank).

How Does Caffeine Impact Plants Growth?

Caffeine will hurt the plants ability to absorb nutrients and it will also slow the growth.

The roots won’t be able to take in the water it needs either(Panduro). Too much caffeine can hurt

the plants growth. It will might kill it. Caffeine will also hinder the Photosynthesis process.

Caffeine will raise the pH level in the soil and make the soil toxic to the plant. Although the

caffeine is not good for some plants, it will repel insects(Grant).

I thought that, if I planted sunflowers and “watered” them with Rockstar, Bang, Redbull,

and Monster, then Redbull would grow the most, and I found out that Bang grew the most. Over

the 2 weeks of my experiment, I found out that the control with water will grow during winter

months. The sunflowers did not react well with the energy drinks and did not grow much. The

Bang had no sugar and it grew the most.

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Works Cited

“BANG Energy Drink.” Caffeine Informer, www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-content/bang-

energy-drink.
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Frank, Mel. “What Happens If We Give Sugar Water to Plants?” Hunker.com, Hunker, 26 Feb.

2011, www.hunker.com/12484396/what-happens-if-we-give-sugar-water-to-plants.

Grant, Amy. “Will Caffeine Affect Plant Growth – Tips On Fertilizing Plants With Caffeine.”

Gardening Know How, 4 Apr. 2018, www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-

fertilizers/will-caffeine-affect-plant-growth.htm.

Harrington, Jenny. “What Are the Proper Weather Conditions to Plant a Sunflower?” Home

Guides | SF Gate, 21 Nov. 2017, homeguides.sfgate.com/proper-weather-conditions-

plant-sunflower-73087.html.

Kincaide, Maeve. “Do Plants Grow Faster in Light or Dark?” Hunker.com, Hunker, 18 Sept.

2010, www.hunker.com/12380615/do-plants-grow-faster-in-light-or-dark.

“Measuring Plant Growth.” Science Buddies, 2018, www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-

projects/references/measuring-plant-growth.

“Monster Energy Drink.” Caffeine Informer, www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-

content/monster.

Panduro, Nikki. “How Do Different Energy Drinks Affect How Much a Sunflower Grows?” 15

Nov. 2018.

“Red Bull.” Caffeine Informer, www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-content/red-bull.

“Rockstar Energy Drink.” Caffeine Informer, www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-

content/rockstar

Willson, Ian. “Do Plants Grow Slower at Night?” EHow, Leaf Group, 27 June 2011,

www.ehow.com/info_8653494_do-plants-grow-slower-night.html.
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