4. A student investigated the effect of radiation on the germination of bean seeds. He thought that exposure to radiation would limit the seeds ability to germinate (grow) much like ultraviolet light causing skin cancer.
Three hundred seeds were soaked in distilled water for one hour. They were then divided into three groups.
One group was placed in a microwave oven on high for three seconds. Another group was microwaved on high
for six seconds. The last group was not microwaved. Seeds were then planted in three separate flats and given
the same amount of water. The flats were placed in a location with a constant temperature of approximately
27 degrees Celsius. Each day for two weeks the number of seeds that germinated each group was recorded.