Mallory Hogan Sci.

6 11/14/13 PHOTOSYNTHESIS SUMMATIVE REPORT PROBLEM: How does the color of light (blue, red) affect the rate of photosynthesis in Elodea at a distance of 5cm from the plant? HYPOTHESIS: If the color of light is changed from blue to red, then the rate of photosynthesis will decrease by about 25%. THEROY: Photosynthesis is the process of how plants make food and oxygen. It takes place in the chloroplasts of plants. Photosynthesis is when carbon dioxide is transferred and rearranged using light energy to make glucose (energy) and oxygen. The oxygen is released into the atmosphere, and the energy is released into the plant. Plants use the energy for its functions, including photosynthesis. Then when an animal or human eats a plant, they gain that plants energy that was produced in photosynthesis. In the wavelength spectrum, there is a small part of it, which is the visible light. These are the colors that we see, including (from long wavelength to short wavelength) red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. These colors are light energy. When we see things, like a red apple, the apple is absorbing most of the other visible colors, and reflecting red. This is the same for chlorophyll in plants. Chlorophyll is a green pigment, meaning that it absorbs the other colors and reflects mostly green, and a little of yellow and orange. Chlorophyll must absorb other colors to carry out photosynthesis, due to the fact that these colors that are absorbed are light energy. Light energy is needed for photosynthesis. This is the reason why the rate of photosynthesis occurs in various colors of light. For example, photosynthesis could not occur in green light, because it has no light energy to absorb and to carry out photosynthesis. Chlorophyll absorbs about 45% of blue light, and about 10% of red light. However, the information from the 2012 data, shows that there was a 23% decrease from red to blue light. Knowing this, I believe that the rate of photosynthesis will decrease when the light is changed from blue to red by about 25%. This is because red is absorbed more than blue light, meaning that red contains more light energy that can be used to carry out photosynthesis. PROCEDURE:

1. Measure and cut an elodea piece at an angle 7 to 9 cm. 2. Remove a few leaves from end of stem and slightly crush end of stem. 3. Measure mass in grams and record. 4. Put elodea stem side up in a test tube.

5. Fill test tube with spring water and baking soda solution (1 tsp. to 100 mL of water). 6. Put tube in rack and adjust lamp with blue light 5 cm from top of test tube. 7. Turn on lamp and wait 1 minute. 8. After 1 minute, begin counting small, medium and large bubbles for 2 minutes. Record data. 9. Repeat for trial 2 (and 3) DATA/OBSERVATIONS:
Trial 1: 1.1 grams Oxygen Produced in 3 minutes with blue and red light
Small x 1 Color Blue 72 Medium x 2 12x2=24 Large x 3 4x3=12 Total 108

Red

20

3x2=6

0x3=0

26

Trial 2: 1.5 grams Oxygen Produced in 3 minutes with blue and red light
Small x 1 Color Blue Red 58X1=58 44X1=44 Medium x 2 13X2=26 10X2=20 Large x 3 4X3=12 0X3=0 Total 96 64

NOTE: TRIAL 2 DATA IS LIKELY INACURATE AVERAGES FOR 2 TRIALS TRIALS Blue 5cm 1 108 2 96 Total/2 204/2 Ave. 102 Red 26 64 90/2 45

2013 AVERAGE DATA IN 3 MINUTES FROM 6 DIFFERENT CLASSES COLOR OF LIGHT BLUE RED % Oxygen Decrease/Increase CLASS PERIOD AVERAGES 1 58.5 70 16.4% INCREASE 2 63.5 19 70.1% DECREASE 3 39 24.3 37.7% DECREASE 4 112 85.8 23.4% DECREASE 6 102 45 55.9% DECREASE 7 68.5 50.8 25.8% DECREASE TOTAL/6 443.5/6 294.9/6 AVERAGE 73.9 49.2 33.4% DECREASE

COLOR OF LIGHT AVERAGES FOR 3 MINUTES

% OF OXYGEN PRODUCED IN 3 MIN. 120 102 100 80 60 40 20 0 GROUP 7th GRADE 73.9 49.2 BLUE RED

45

CONCLUSION: In this lab, we tested how the color of light (blue, red) affected the rate of photosynthesis in Elodea at a distance of 5cm from the plant. I hypothesized that if the color of light is changed from blue to red, then the rate of photosynthesis will decrease by about 25%. In our group test, we found that the elodea that was under blue light, photosynthesized more than the elodea under the red light. When the elodea was moved from red to blue light, there was a 55.9% decrease of oxygen. Comparing our data to the other classes data, we saw that they also had a range of decreases from a 70.1% decrease, to a 23.4% decrease. Four of the five other periods that tested this had over 20% decrease of oxygen. In conclusion, my hypothesis was correct, but was off on the decrease amount by about 25%. ANALYSIS: Looking at the 2013 data, there were some discrepancies that were in the data. 83% (5 out of 6) of the classes that tested the lab got a decrease of oxygen produced when the elodea piece was moved from blue to red light. However, period ones data had an 11.5 % increase of oxygen. This was an inconsistency in the data. Also, comparing our 2013 data to the 2012 data, the 2012 data had more oxygen produced under red light, while the 2013 data has an increase of oxygen under the blue light. This was another inconsistency. Also, under blue light, there was a range of 72 oxygen bubbles, while the range under red light was 66.8 oxygen bubbles. The 2 ranges look to be fairly close to each other. Also, if you take out the inconsistent data in period one, you would get a 100% decrease of oxygen from blue to red light. It was a possibility that period one did not record the bubbles correctly and where the bubbles were coming from. We could improve the procedure by having a diagram of what a small, medium, and large bubble looks like, so that the bubble counters will have the same data. Also, before beginning the procedure, the groups should talk to each other about where the bubbles should be coming from, and how to count them. Lastly, the trial 2 data for 6th period is most likely to be incorrect. This is due to the fact that we moved tubes to different lights while still timing. This caused us to lose time of counting bubbles, making the trial incorrect and inaccurate. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Coolidge-Stolz M.D., Elizabeth, et al. Focus On Life Science. Boston, Mass: Prentice Hall, 2008. Washington State Department of Ecology. American Waterweed- A Common Native Plant. February 24, 2003. November 2013. <http://www.ecy.wa.gov/Programs/wq/plants/native/elodea.html> Young, Paul. The Botany Coloring Book. Cambridge, New York: Harper and Row, 1982.

Speer, Brian. "Photosynthetic Pigments."UCBerkley Photosynthetic Pigments. N.p., 9 July 2011. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. <http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/g <http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss3/pigments.html> NASA. "What Wavelength Goes With a Color?." What Wavelength Goes With a Color?. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 15 Nov. 2011. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. <http://science-edu.larc.nasa.gov/EDDOCS/Wavelengths_for_Colors.html>