Diliman Preparatory School

Commonwealth Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City

Grade School Department
A.Y. 2014-2015

Investigatory Project
Water Detector
“Aqua Spotter”
(with sprinkler system)

Submitted by:
“Beta Aquarii”
Miguel Antonio L. Abaño
Gaiea B. Aranas
Gabriel M. Collado
Yani Suzette B. Gamulo
Elson Vince D. Pasco

Submitted to:
Ma’am Christine S. Romero

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I. Problem
How to detect moisture in soil to make it useful for planting?

II. Hypothesis
If a water detector was used as a planting tool it would help
farmers in the fields take care of their plants and water them every
time there is insufficient water.

III. Background Information

The things that plants need are sunlight, water, soil, and carbon
dioxide. The sun provides warmth and energy for plants to survive.
Plants use the sun’s energy to makes their own food energy in their
leaves. Water helps the plant move nutrients from the soil going
through its stems and leaves. Water keeps the plant moist, flexible,
and helps the plant make its own food. Soil provides a base which the
roots hold onto as a plant grows bigger. It also provides plants with
water and the nutrients they need to be healthy. Plants take in carbon
dioxide from the air to use in the process of photosynthesis (making
their own food energy) and give off oxygen which we use. An absence
of any of the said needs can hamper the development of the plant. In
taking care of plants it is important that their needs are provided.

Sometimes, people have busy lives and as a result, they forget

about taking care of their plant. Our Aqua Spotter solves the problem
of people forgetting to provide water for their beloved plants. This
device works by detecting the presence of water in the plant’s soil. If
the device detected low water in the soil it beeps alerting the person

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who is taking care of the plant. It uses the fact that watered soil
conducts better than dry soil. A low conductivity across two
conductors planted in the soil means that the soil bears little water and
may need to be watered. High conductivity means that there is a high
flow of electricity. This electricity will light up the light bulb or will make
the buzzer alarm, therefore, alarming the owners of the plants that
there is insufficient water in their soil. This detector is useful not only
to people who are busy and forgetful but it can also be used by farmers
to monitor how much water is present in the soil that bear their crops.

Our group, the Beta Aquarii, thought of this project because

some plants can die quickly without the presence of enough water. We
all know that plants play a big part in our society. They are the reason
why we can breathe in clean, fresh air. Without them, the world will
be covered in carbon dioxide, therefore, killing all humans and animals.
Plants also prevent other environmental problems such as Global
Warming and pollution. People forgetting to water their plants cause
plants to die. This problem causes a decrease in the number of plants
worldwide. Plants should be watered properly and our device will help
prevent plants from withering. The advantage of using of this device is
that it helps you know when to water the plants. It alarms you when to
water the plant. This will eventually lessen the number of withering
plants and will result in an increase of plants in the world. Farmers and
gardeners will also benefit from this device for their plants.

Our Aqua Spotter can be used and upgraded in many ways. In

this investigatory project, we decided to use our device in a “sprinkler
system”. Through this, water will automatically be sprinkled once low

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water level in soil is detected. This upgraded device will save time,
energy, money, and most important of all, it will save plants.

The device uses a small button-type battery. It powers the whole

device. For the device to properly work, two conductor leads should
be properly plugged into the soil where the plant is growing.

IV. Methodology
a. Materials
 Transistor - a semiconductor device used to increase or
switch electronic signals and electrical power. It is
composed of semiconductor material with at least three
terminals for a connection to an external circuit.
Parts of a transistor:
Base, Collector, Emitter
Types of transistor:
NPN (negative-positive-negative)
PNP (positive-negative-positive)
 Resistor - a passive two-terminal electrical component.
They act to reduce current flow and to lower voltage levels
within circuits.
1k resistor
47k resistor
Adjustable Resistor

 Relay – is an electrically powered switch.

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  Breadboard - is used as a construction base for prototypes
of electronics. It is also known a protoboard.
 Battery (9-volts) - is a device that converts the chemical
energy stored inside it to electrical energy
 Wire - a strand of drawn metal used especially in electrical
conductors and fencing.
 LED Light Bulb - a light bulb that is shines brighter and lasts
longer than most fluorescent bulbs.
 Pump – a device that moves fluids.
 Battery Connector – a wire that has a crown to connect the
battery to other electic materials.
b. Procedure
1.Get the bread board and arrange it horizontaly.
2.Get the transistor and put its emitter on the coordinates
f10, its collector on f9 and its base on f8. Make sure its flat side is
facing you.
3.Then get the 1k resistor and put its left leg alligned to the
transistor’s collector.
4.Get the LED bulb and but its left leg alligned to the
transistor’s base.
5.Then get the 47k resistor and put its left leg alligned to
the LED’s right leg. Then the resistor’s right leg on the positive
column.
6.Get the adjustable resistor and put its middle leg on the
coordinates h11 and its right leg connected to the transistor’s
emitter.
7. Use a jumper to connect the right leg of the 1k resistor to
the middle leg of the adjustable resistor.
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 8.Then get the PNP transistor and put its emitter on the
coordinates f20, its collector on f19 and its base on f18.
9. Use a jumper to connect the right leg of the LED bulb to
the base of the PNP transistor.
10.Get another jumper to connect the emitter of the PNP
transistor to the negative column. And another jumper to
connect the right leg of the adjustable resistor to the positive
column.
11.Then connect the negative wire of the battery connector
to the negative column. And the positive wire to the positive
column.
12. Then get the relay and connect the left wire to the
collector of the PNP transistor. Connect the other wire to the
positive column.
13.Then get the probes and connect one of the wire to the
1k resistorand the other to the positive column.

V.Experiment
We did two experiments: one is with dry soil and the other
one is with wet soil. Before any experimentation we made sure that the
electronic parts are all fixed and is on position. We put the two prodes
into the soil. The LED bulb did not light up causing the sprinkler to
sprinkle water onto the soil. The LED bulb lit up after the sprinkler since
there is moisture that came from the sprinkler.
The second experiment is with the wet soil. We put the two
probes into the soil. The LED bulb lit up and there was no water that
came out from the sprinkler since the soil has moisture.

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VI.Analysis and Results
The results were really simple. The dry soil got moisturized
because of the sprinkled water from the pump/sprinkle. The pump
will only release water if the soil is dry and the only way to know if it
is dry without touching the soil is to use the moisture detector with
sprinkler.

VII.Conclusion
Our hypothesis was that the detector will work well and will be
useful among farmers and gardeners. The result supports the
hypothesis.
The first detector we made worked. It lit up when it had
moisture in it, it didnt light up when there is no moisture. Then we
tried the detector with the sprinkler system. First we tried to use it
with soil that has moisture. The water system didnt open/water the
soil. Then we tested it on dry soil. The water system worked and it
watered the soil. We think that we still need to improve it but for now
this detector will be useable and surely be useful to farmers and
gardeners.

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Pictures

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Recommendations
We recommend this projects to farmers and gardeners. This
project is very helpful especially when the farmer is busy and no one
will take care of his plants. All he has to do is to use this water detector
with the sprinkler system to water his plants even if he is not around.

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