RAK Campus 2023-2024

\\Title: Investigation: Photosynthesis

https://youtu.be/gCHW7f88bAc

Objective: To Investigate the effect of light on the rate of photosynthesis

I. Introduction

Photosynthesis fuels ecosystems and replenishes the Earth's atmosphere with oxygen. Like
all enzyme-driven reactions, the rate of photosynthesis can be measured by either the
disappearance of substrate or the accumulation of products. The equation for
photosynthesis is:

6CO2 + 6H2O ------light--------> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + H20

To determine the rate of photosynthesis, you could measure the production of oxygen,
which is released when photosynthesis occurs, or the consumption of carbon dioxide.

Purpose: [5]

Leaf Structure and Function

In this investigation, you will use a system that measures the accumulation of oxygen in the
leaf. Consider the anatomy of the leaf. The leaf is composed of layers of cells. The spongy
mesophyll layer is normally infused with gases, oxygen and carbon dioxide. Leaves (or disks
cut from leaves) will normally float in water because of these gases. If you draw the gases
out from the spaces, then the leaves will sink because they become more dense than water.
If this leaf disk is placed in a solution with an alternate source of carbon dioxide in the form
of bicarbonate ions, then photosynthesis can occur in a sunken leaf disk. As photosynthesis
proceeds, oxygen accumulates in the air spaces of the spongy mesophyll. The leaf becomes
buoyant and floats.

While this is going on, the leaf is also carrying out cellular respiration. This respiration will
consume the oxygen that has accumulated and possibly cause the plant disks to sink. In
other words, the buoyancy of the leaf disk is actually an indirect measurement of the NET
rate of photosynthesis occurring in the leaf tissue.

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Experimental Question: What factors affect the rate of photosynthesis?

Pre-lab Questions - these should be completed before the scheduled lab.

1. How can the rate of photosynthesis be measured? [1]

The rate of photosynthesis can be measured by counting the amount of leaf discs floating
over a certain amount of time. Another method is by calculation the biomass.

2. Where in the cell of the leaf do you find air spaces? [1]

The air spaces are found in the spongy mesophyll

3. What is the function of the stomata? [1]

It allows the plants the take carbon dioxide and to release oxygen.

4. What will happen if you remove the air from these spaces? [1]

The leaves will eventually sink because they

5. How will air return to these spaces? [1]

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By synthesising photosynthesis, when occurred, the leaf will take bicarbonate ions and light
energy from its surroundings and will produce oxygen (it is a much complicated reaction)
which will then be released from the cell by the stoma making the leaf less denser which will
eventually float.

6. Instead of carbon dioxide, what will be used as the reactant in this lab? [1]

Bicarbonate ions

7. List any factors that you think may affect the rate of photosynthesis. Consider
environmental factors that you could manipulate during the lab. [4]

The distance from the light, the colour of the light, temperature of the solution and the
concentration of the solution of bicarbonate ions.

Materials:
Baking soda | Liquid soap | Plastic syringes (10 mL or larger) | Leaves (spinach or ivy) | Hole
punch or Straws | Cups or beakers | Timer | Light source
II. Procedure
1. Collect leaf disks by punching holes in the dark green portion of a leaf (try to get them
between the veins). You will a total of 20 disks.
2. Make a solution of sodium bicarbonate by mixing 300 ml of water to a pinch of baking
soda.
3. Make a diluted solution of liquid detergent (2 drops of soap to 100 mL of water) - do not
generate suds).
4. Add one drop of this dilute soap solution to your 300 ml bicarbonate solution –.
5. Place 10 leaf disks into the syringe and pull in a small volume of the bicarbonate and soap
solution. Replace the plunger and push out most of the air, but do not crush your leaves.
6. Create a vacuum by covering the tip of the syringe with your finger. Draw back the
plunger.
7. Release the vacuum so that the solution will enter the disks. It may take a few times to
get the disks to sink.
8. Once they have sank, you can put them back into the sodium bicarbonate solution and
expose the disks to light.
9. Repeat steps 5-7 with another set of 10 disks. Place this set into a control beaker that
contains only water and expose to light.
10. Record the number of disks floating at the end of each minute, swirl the disks to

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dislodge any that may get stuck to the beaker or to each other. The experiment should
continue until all the disks are floating.

IV. Results

Data Table [15 pts]

Light / No baking
Time (min) Light/Baking Soda
soda
1 0 0
2 0 0
3 0 0
4 0 0
5 0 0
6 0 0
7 0 0
8 0 0
9 0 0
10 1 0
11 1 0
12 1 0
13 1 0
14 1 0

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15 6 1

Part II

Purpose: [5]

Experimental Variables:

What range of independent variables will you and your lab partner use [ Chose a
minimum of three]

Independent Variables: [1] Light colours because at different colours the pigments within
the leaves they observe the most.

Dependent Variable:[1] Buoyancy of the leaves discs they are directly related to the light
colours, because depending on the light colours the pigments will observe the light energy
more and better making photosynthesis more efficient it will be, increasing the buoyancy of
the leaf discs

Controlled Variable: [3] concentration of bicarbonate ions in the solution, which was 5 gm,
temperature of the water which was set at room temperature and the pH concentration.

Formulate your hypothesis: If different light intensity shining on the spinach leaf discs,
then the buoyancy of the leaf disks will also increase, because different light intensity
provides more energy for photosynthesis, leading to greater oxygen production which will
make the intercellular spaces filled with oxygen making it less dense, thereby increasing
buoyancy.

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Analysis [10 pts]

Analysis: To make comparisons between experiments, a standard point of reference is

Graph your data for the experiment. X-axis is Time (min) and Y-axis is # floating disks.

Be sure to include a key for each sample set. There should be at least 4 plots/ lines on your
graph.

Determine the ET50 for each set of leaf disks.

V. Conclusion:

What is the relationship between the variables and photosynthesis rate? This is your CLAIM.
[1]

The variables act as determinant for photosynthesis , changes in the variables directly
influence photosynthesis.

What evidence supports those claims (summarize data)? [1]

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This lab directly analysed the difference in light intensity over photosynthesis for different
trials which gave different data depending on the light intensity.

Provide reasoning that links the evidence and the claim and explains why this relationship
exists. A discussion of photosynthesis is appropriate in this section. [1]

The evidence supports the claim that increasing light intensity leads to higher rates of
photosynthesis. This relationship is explained photosynthesis where light energy is
converted into chemical energy. Higher light intensity provides more energy, resulting in
more ATP. The lab analysed how different light intensity affect photosynthesis because of
the energy produced.

VI. Evaluation:[4]

Each group took care to control variables like light intensity, bicarbonate ions concentration and the
temperature. Analysing the data, the bicarbonate was outstanding because it was providing the
spinach leaf discs with a variable important for the process (photosynthesis) instead of the carbon
dioxide. Where at minute 9 nothing really happened but it happened to appear some bubbles on the
leaves under the water and that is the gases. At minute 10 and going on, the discs were floating
more that is because photosynthesis finally worked releasing enough oxygen to increase the
buoyancy. The one without bicarbonate through the whole experiment did not change, no discs
floated, that is why there were no other variable to substitute the carbon dioxide.

To make the experiment better, an option would be using different leaves from different plants and
then we could see the difference in photosynthesis.

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