Question

The student keeps the setup undisturbed for one week and observes that the temperature increased in the container with germinating seeds, but the container with boiled seeds did not change in temperature. What does the experiment measure?

Answer 1

The experiment measures the increase in temperature due to metabolic activity during seed germination, as seen by the higher temperature in the container with germinating seeds.

Step-by-step explanation:

The experiment described appears to measure the heat production during the germination process of seeds, which is indicative of metabolic activity. When seeds begin to germinate, they activate their metabolism to grow, which releases energy and causes an increase in temperature. This is in contrast to boiled seeds, which do not germinate or exhibit metabolic activity, therefore showing no change in temperature. We can conclude that the temperature increase in the container with germinating seeds is a result of respiratory heat production associated with metabolic activities necessary for germination and growth.