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, then the rate of photosynthesis will increase by 60.7%.
Photosynthesis is a process that absorbs light and makes food and energy for the plant. To make the food you must have the reactants water, light and carbon dioxide and the products glucose (sugar) and oxygen. In order for photosynthesis to take place you must have sunlight. Sunlight allows the plant to create a chemical reaction. Once the chemical reaction takes place it produces glucose. Glucose allows the plant to have energy and food. All these reaction and products are necessary for photosynthesis to take place. Blue light has a higher absorption rate; this causes you to not be able to see the color green as much because it reflects compared to blue light. This is because green has 95% more of a reflection then blue that only has 5% absorbing. Chlorophyll A and chlorophyll B could possibly cause the rate of photosynthesis to increase. This is because Chlorophyll B absorbs energy from the color blue light. And Chlorophyll A absorbs energy from the colors violet, orange, and red. Chlorophyll B may increase photosynthesis because blue light will cause more energy and food when absorbing light. In conclusion I believe that the color blue light will affect the rate of photosynthesis because studys have shown a greater percentage of increasing data when blue lights is included in photosynthesis.

PROCEDURE FOR COLOR OF LIGHT 1. Measure and cut at an angle elodea 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 3 minutes. Record data. 9. Repeat it with red light. 10. Repeat for Trial DATA/OBSERVATIONS:
Trial 1 ___grams
Color Blue Red

Oxygen Produced in 3 minutes with blue and red light

Medium x 2 44x1=44 0x8=0 Large x 3 3x1=3 3x6=18 Total 91 24

Small x 1 44x1=44 6x1=6

Notes: Trial 2 _____grams Oxygen Produced in 3 minutes with blue and red light
Small x 1 Color Blue 2x1=2 Medium x 2 5x2=10 Large x 3 8x3=24 Total 36

Red

3x1=3

1x2=2

3x3=9

14

Averages
Trail 1 Trial 2 Total/2Average BLUE 91 36 127/2 63.5 RED 24 14 38/2 19

2013 AVERAGE DATA IN 3 MINUTES FROM 6 DIFFERENT CLASSES COLOR OF LIGHT

BLUE CLASS PERIOD AVERAGES 1 RED % Oxygen Decrease/Increase

58.5

70

Red 16% more than

2 3 4 6 7 TOTAL/6 AVERAGE

63.5 39 112 102 68.5 443.5/6 73.9 80.375 without p. 1 and 2

19 24.3 85.8 45 50.8 294.9/6 49.2 51.45 without p. 1 and 2

blue Decrease 70 Decrease 37.6 Decrease23.3 Decrease 55.8 Decrease 25.8 Decrease 32.6

Rate of Photosynthesis for Color of Light

Average rate of oxegen in 3 minutes
100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 19 49.2 Red Blue 73.9 63.5

7th grade
CONCLUTION:

2 period

In this lab, my group tested if the color of light (red, blue) when it was 5 cm away made a difference on the production of oxygen bubbles (Photosynthesis). I hypothesized that our groups rate of photosynthesis would increase under blue light. This hypothesis was right 6 out of 7 periods. Almost all group got a higher percentage of bubbles in blue light. For example period 3 got 39 bubbles of air under blue light and 24.3 in red light. Periods that got more bubbles in blue light were periods 3,4,5,6 and 7. Period 1 stood out because it had more bubbles or more oxygen under red light. This shows that 84% percent of the time photosynthesis will happen more in 3 minutes under blue light. In conclusion my hypothesis was correct that the production of oxygen bubbles is greater under blue light than red light.

Analysis: In our lab about how red and blue light affects the rate of photosynthesis, our data shows that there were many inconsistencies. For one example, period ones data really stood out because they were the only group that had 16% more oxygen in red light than blue. Every other table group had a decrease, or more in blue than red light. If we took out the data for period one the average for blue would still be higher then red. This shows that there were some discrepancies in this lab. Another example is that if we took out period 1 and 2 in this lab, it would make the average for red 51% and 80 % for blue. This observation still shows that blue is higher then red. The numbers in our lab were pretty close most of the time but something to make this lab better would be to make sure when you crushed the elodea that each group does the same amount of pressure. Also to make sure that each plant had the same exposure to the light, to make this happen you will have to place the tube underneath the light for each period in the same spot. Another thing that would make this lab more trust worthy would be that each light has a new light bulb so that each plant gets the same amount of light. I believe that these things would make this lab a lot more consistent. In conclusion I leaned that photosynthesis happens under blue light faster 84% of the time. 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.