Summative Project

By Luke Elders

PHOTOSYNTHESIS SUMMATIVE PROJECT PROJECT: How does the color of light (blue, red) affect the rate of photosynthesis in Elodea at a distance of 5cm from the plant? THINGS FOR HYPOTHESIS: Photo, where, and whats needed Knowledge about the light spectrums, wavelengths, frequency, and energy ACTUAL HYPOTHESIS: If Elodea is put at a distance of 5 cm under blue and red light, then the blue light will absorb 30% more than the red light. THEORY: Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. They carry out this process through the chloroplasts, in the leaves. Photosynthesis is when Carbon Dioxide, Water, and Light is changed and turned into glucose (sugar) and oxygen. Basically the reactants are turned into the products using the suns energy and the plants energy. The reason why the leaves are green is that the chlorophyll, which is in the chloroplasts, reflects the green light from the sun and turns the plant green. I think that the rate of photosynthesis will increase by the red light instead of the blue light. I think this because I looked at last years data and found my conclusion. The blue from red

light increase was 5/7 times which is exactly .714 and that is 71%. I hypothesize that if Elodea is put at a distance of 5 cm under blue and red light, then the red light will absorb 30% more than the blue light. PROCEDURE: 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 to the bottom of the ring stand. 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 with red light. 10. Repeat for Trial 2

DATA/OBSERVATIONS: Trial 1 Oxygen produced in 3 minutes at 5 and 10 cm Small x 1 Color Blue Red 21 61 Medium x 2 11*2 20*2 Large x 3 2*3 4*3 Total 49 113

Notes: 64-bubble difference

Trial 2 Oxygen produced in 3 minutes at 5 and 10 cm Small x 1 Color Blue Red 23*1 11*1 Medium x 2 12*2 4*2 Large x 3 7*3 2*3 Total 68 25

Colors Trial 1 Trial 2 Total Average Notes:

Blue 49 68 117 70

Red 113 25 138 58.5

Red Produced more bubbles Hard to get bubbles We couldve made sure both bubble counters thought that the bubbles were the same as each other thought We did a great job with the experiment

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

BLUE RED % Oxygen Decrease/Increase

CLASS PERIOD AVERAGES

1 2 3 4 6 7 TOTAL/6 AVERAGE Average w/out P. 1 and P. 2

58.5 63.5 39 112 102 68.5 443.5/6 73.9 77

70 19 24.3 85.8 45 50.8 294.9/6 49.2 44.98

16 increase 70 decrease 38 decrease 23 decrease 56 decrease 26 decrease 34% decrease 34% decrease 42% Decrease

Amount of 02 Bubbles in 3 Minutes

Photosynthesis Under Red and Blue Light

90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Class Averages Color of Light Period 1 49.2 Blue Light Red Light 73.9 58.5 70

100

Conclusion If Elodea is put at a distance of 5 cm under blue and red light, then the blue light will absorb 30% more than the red light. The following information leads me to my conclusion. In

this lab, we tested the rate of photosynthesis and O2 outcome from the plant, Elodea, under a red and blue light. I predicted that Elodea would have a higher rate of photosynthesis under the red light. In period one there was a 16% increase from blue light to red light. Compared to the seventh grade we were the only class that had an increase from blue to red light, and the average in all the classes was a 34% decrease from blue to red light. My hypothesis was correct 17% of the time.

Evaluation/Analysis I noticed many things from the classes data. Using critical thinking I have realized something important; that this experiment could have been better. Each and every problem could have been fixed. For example, in period 1, there was an increase from 58.5 to 70 O2 bubbles released. This was the only class that had increased its data from blue to red light. In this lab, the outliers changed the average of all the classes dramatically. There was a 39-bubble difference in the high and low in the blue category. There was a 67.8 difference from high to low in the red category. I think that we can make this lab more reliable. What if we took period one out? If we took period one out then the lab would be more reliable and the averages would be 77 for blue and 44.98 for red and all classes, if we took period one out. This would be a 42% decrease and this new information would make this lab more reliable. There were many things from this experiment that were tough to control. For example, I noticed that the mass of Elodea was hard to control and the data could have easily been incorrect. Also the bubble amount was hard to control because one of the elodeas might not have as much oxygen or the people who counted the bubbles wrong. Also the amount of water could have changed the outcome of the experiment. Too much water could have drenched the Elodea and too little water could have left the elodea not respire. Heres what would make this lab more reliable. If we took out the outliers, in which I did, then the lab would be more reliable. Also if we made sure the counters were on track the whole time then the lab would be more reliable and if we measured the exact amount of water and cut the elodea exactly to 7 cm, then the lab would be very reliable.

Bibliography
American Waterweed. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. <http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/native/elodea.html>. Coolidge-Stolz M.D., Elizabeth, et al. Focus On Life Science. Boston, Mass: Prentice Hall, 2008. "Elodea." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Apr. 2013. Web. 4 Dec. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elodea>. 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.