Name: Lim, Joan Mari M.

CN: G7 Assignment #1
Section: SV03 Instructor: Ms. Heather Nicole A. Belino

QUESTIONS
1. In Louis Pasteur’s experiment to disprove the theory of spontaneous generation, what were
some of the variables that he needed to keep the same so that his experiment was fair?
In his experiment, Louis Pasteur made sure that both variables are treated fairly,
with only an exception that one variable allows bacteria to enter in order to prove that
spontaneous generation is not true. He first poured the same amount of broth in two different
glass containers. He then heated both containers in the same temperature and the same length
of time. Both variables are exposed in the same light, air, and temperature making his
experiment fair.
2. In Pasteur’s experiment, what was the one variable that was different between the two
containers?
The only variable that Louis Pasteur needed to change is how the bacteria from the
air will enter in container A and not in container B. Louis Pasteur had to make sure that one
variable must be able to catch the bacteria from the air. In order to achieve his goal, he used
similar containers but with different openings. In container A, he used a glass container with a
neck extending straight up to its opening, as a result the bacteria from the air would fall straight
down to the soup. On the other hand, container B was a glass container with a curved neck and
an opening at the end, since it had a curved neck the bacteria would not directly fall onto the
soup, instead it would fall on the curve of the neck, making the broth safe from the bacteria.
3. If Pasteur wanted bacteria to get into one container of broth but not the other, why didn’t he
just leave one open and put a lid on the other?
Louis Pasteur didn’t stick to the idea of leaving one container open and the other
covered with a lid simply because the covered container will not be getting air which does not
follow Louis Pasteur’s method, and would make the experiment unfair.
4. After the experiment, what impact does it contribute to the society and to the scientific
community?
Since his experiment was a success, the idea on the theory of spontaneous
generation was proven to be false. Scientifically, he was able to prove that we can get bacteria
from the air and that bacteria can cause food and drinks to spoil. As a contribution to the
society, it opens our minds to the idea of spoiled food, meaning his idea is still effective up to
this day.
5. In your own words, explain how the careful setup of Pasteur’s experiment added evidence to
the case that the theory of spontaneous generation is not true.
Since Louis Pasteur conducted an experiment, his predictions were proven to be
true because of the success of the experiment. He proved that other microorganisms are
formed through the exposure of food and drinks to bacteria which is a complete contrast to the
theory of spontaneous generation which states that living organisms came from non-living
substances such as spoiled food, drinks, and other substances.