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How to Grow Bean Sprouts in a Jar for an Experiment

Growing bean sprouts in a clear glass jar shows the outwardly visible process of a bean, or seed, transitioning to a plant. Internally, a bean grows using the protein and energy stored in the seed and the water it comes in contact with. When the leaves develop, the plant creates its own energy by performing photosynthesis. Try using different kinds of beans in your experiment to see how the bean size and type affect the speed in which they sprout.

Things You'll Need

3 beans
Medium-size glass
Paper towels

Instructions

- 1
  Place your beans in a glass of water 24 hours before your experiment begins to allow the seeds to start growing.
- 2
  Wet a paper towel, and wring the excess water out of it. Fold the paper towel so it is no taller than your glass jar. Wrap the paper towel around the inside of the jar, keeping it the same height as the jar.
- 3
  Slide three beans between the paper towel and the glass of the jar so they are evenly spaced around the jar and the beans are visible through the glass.
- 4
  Place a balled up, wet paper towel in the middle of the jar, if one towel is not enough to keep the beans in place.
- 5
  Place the jar in a sunny spot, such as a window. Rotate the jar each day so each bean receives the same amount of sun exposure. Pour or spray a small amount of water on the paper towel each day to keep the paper towel wet and allow the beans to grow.
- 6
  Observe the seeds daily to see how they are growing. Make a note of which beans grow faster.

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