LAB ACTIVITY #1

By: Abraham Hernández Mendoza, Alberto Alvarez Manrique, and Jose Manuel Chanchay

INTRODUCTION: ​AH

The experiment consists in testing the effect of light in photosynthesis, because as we

know, the light, carbon dioxide, and water are factors that affect and make variations in
the rate of photosynthesis, and that's why they have to be monitored. The pondweed is
used because they can extract the CO2 from the water, and because of this, this weed
can be underwater and produce water, which can be visible because of the bubbles, so
it's easier to calculate how much oxygen is produced.

FLUX DIAGRAM:​ AA
Table Of Photosynthesis Rate: ​AH

DISTANCE REPEAT 1 REPEAT 2 REPEAT MEAN NUMBER OF

(CM) 3 BUBBLES

140 101 104 97 100.7

130 119 120 123 120.7

120 189 199 173 187

110 217 214 221 217.3

100 271 268 274 271

Line Graph: ​ AH
Questions: ​AA

+According to your results describe in detail the relationship between light intensity
and the rate at which oxygen is produced by the plant:
According to the results I can say when the light is at a closer distance to the plant, it
will produce more oxygen as it is receiving a higher light intensity. So at a higher
distance, it will produce less oxygen.

+ Use the graph presented in your results to estimate the distance of the lamp from
the plant when six bubbles of oxygen per minute would be produced:
6 bubbles will be produced with the distance between 20-15 centimeters.

+Suggest which variables should be kept the same whilst varying the light intensity.
Explain in detail:
The size of the bubbles produced, because the number of bubbles doest affect the size
of them and also t​ ​he size of the pondweed, the volume of water used, and its
temperature.

+What would happen if we changed the wavelength of the light? Use the literature to
support your answer:
There is a range of wavelengths that plants can absorb so if it's higher or lower to that
range the plant would not absorb the light correctly or not at all.

+Do you think there are any problems with measuring photosynthesis rate by
counting bubbles? Explain:
I think that no, because we have all the necessary data so that the results are accurate
and correct, and also after carrying out the experiment it shows how precise this is.

+What is the advantage of taking repeat readings and calculating a mean value?:
The advantage is that when more results you take the mean is more precise than if you
take just one or two.

Follow Up Experiment: ​AH

Planning: ​The experiment will consist of three equal plants over the ground, each one
of those having a glass cup over them for blocking up the gases that enter to be around
the plant, then two of them will have a hose connected to a chimney that absorbs the
gases produced by burning wood, one of those hoses will have a machine that will
control the number of gases enter to the glass, the plants will have a constant amount
of water given to the soil and a constant light source.
What you will investigate?: ​How the concentration of carbon dioxide affects the rate
of photosynthesis.

What you will vary?: ​The amount of CO2 that’s entering a glass with the plant in it.

What you will measure?: ​The amount of oxygen produced

What you will keep the same?:​ The amount of water and sunlight that the plant is
receiving.

The equipment you will use?:​ 3 equal glasses, 3 equal plants, a machine that controls
airflow, a hose, burn, fire, water, and a chimney.

Any safety precautions you will take?:​ Being careful with the fire produced by the
burning wood.

EXPLORING PART: TESTING A LEAF FOR

STARCH ​ JC

Provide the results of the experiment conducted in the exploring part as told by the
teacher, don’t forget to discuss the questions:

1. What is ethanol doing and why it became green?: ​Ethanol becomes green because
of the chlorophyll pigment that's inside chloroplasts, but it is not soluble in water but
it is in ethanol.

2. What is destarching and how can you destarch a plant?:​ To destarch a plant first is
needed to denatured all the enzymes in the leave putting the leaf in boiling water,
second step is to remove the chlorophyll introducing the leave-in ethanol inside a test
tube and the test tube inside the beaker with boiling water to dissolve chlorophyll in
ethanol, the last step is to remove the ethanol from the leave and add some drops of
Iodine.

3. Why is it important to destarch the plant before performing a photosynthesis

experiment?: ​It is important because it is easier to see how the plant is working with
the starch.