What encourages mold to grow? This is a question that students can answer in their very own science fair project. If this is the first year a student has completed this type of project then it is very helpful to review complete projects to get an idea of what is expected from them.

Find a Focus for the Project

The first step in developing a mold science fair project is to find a focus. The focus is going to be one element of the selected topic to examine. In the case of mold growth science fair projects students can examine possible growth factors such as surface composition, food sources, heat and humidity. Light exposure and chemical elements can also be used as a mold project focus.

Develop a Hypothesis

The second step is to use the focus to develop a hypothesis. The hypothesis is going to make a prediction about a cause and effect relationship. In this situation the dependent variable, which is measured, is going to be the rate of growth for the mold sample. The cause variable, also referred to as the independent variable, is going to be the focus element, such as heat, humidity or light exposure.

For this sample project the hypothesis is going to be: mold grows faster in warmer environments.

Create an Experiment

The design of an experiment is not a simple process, particularly for mold growth projects. Students will need to develop a testing environment that allows them to isolate a single factor to manipulate, such as heat. To rule out the possibility of other factors influencing the growth rate of the mold a control experiment will also need to be developed.

The control experiment will be set up in a closed environment. It will utilize a sterile Petri dish, agar and a mold sample. Students will need to measure the size of the mold starter and record this in their project journals. They will then need to document the humidity level, temperature and light exposure factors that are influencing the growth of the control mold.

The test experiments will involve the same set up as the control experiment. In fact the test experiments need to mirror the control in every way except for the internal temperature of the testing environment. This is what will be manipulated in each experiment group.

Collect Data

For the control experiment students will need to collect several pieces of data. They will need to record the temperature of the control test environment, the humidity level and they will also need to record how much light the mold is exposed to. Students will also need to record information about the type and size of mold used to start the experiment. Finally, students will need to record the growth of the mold in daily increments.

The test experiments will need to record slightly less information. Students will only need to record the temperature for each experiment and the daily growth rates of their experimental molds. All of this information will need to be organized in a table.

Analyze the Data

The analysis of the data will be fairly straight forward. Students will just need to compare the average daily growth rates for each experiment and compare them to the control and to each other. If the hypothesis is correct then the student will notice that as the temperature is increased the rate of growth for the mold will also increase.

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