4.2.

2 Lab: Investigate Cycling of O2 and CO2 Dry Lab

Earth Science Sem 1 Name:
Date:

In this investigation, you will observe the release of O2 and CO2 into the environment.
Gas production by two types of organisms will serve as evidence of photosynthesis
and cellular respiration in action. In part 1, you will vary the amount of sugar present
and observe the effect on cellular respiration. You will also observe how the rates of
these processes vary as environmental conditions vary. In part 2, you will vary the
amount of light and observe the effect on photosynthesis.

Be sure to:

Follow safe practices during this investigation.

Dispose of the yeast solutions and the water by pouring them down the kitchen
sink. The plants should be placed in the trash.

Materials

NOTE: You do not need these materials in order to complete the dry lab.

6 clean, small-mouth bottles (plastic or glass)

Permanent marker

3 large drinking glasses (clear plastic or glass)

Tape (clear or masking)

Distilled water or dechlorinated tap water

Baking soda

Scissors

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 3 sprigs (4 – 6 inches long) of a living plant*

Strong light source (e.g., sunny windowsill, table lamp, flashlight [no LEDs])

Teaspoon measure

3 packets of dry baker's yeast

⅛ cup of granular sugar

Measuring cup

Tap water, very warm

6 medium balloons (12 inches)

Clock

Measuring tape

*Suggestions (water plants): waterweed (Elodea canadensis) or stonewort (Chara),

found in freshwater streams and at pet stores
Suggestions (landscape plants): fresh cuttings of the new growth of tender plants
such as roses or rosemary, or seedlings of beans, radishes, or tomatoes

Procedure

Part 1: Observing Evidence of Cellular Respiration

To observe evidence of cellular respiration in action, prepare the following

experimental setup.

1. Use a marker to label 6 clean bottles:

#1: No sugar
#2: No sugar
#3: Some sugar
#4: Some sugar

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 #5: More sugar
#6: More sugar

2. Pour 1 teaspoon of dry yeast into each bottle.

3. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar to bottles 3 and 4 and 2 teaspoons of sugar to bottles

5 and 6.

4. Pour 1 cup of very warm tap water into each bottle. Be sure that the tap water
feels warm on your hand but not uncomfortably hot.

5. Blow up and deflate each balloon two times to stretch it. Then put some water
in each balloon and immediately empty it to make sure each balloon is fully
deflated.

6. Pull the opening of a balloon over the opening of each bottle. Be sure that each
balloon's opening fully covers its bottle. Gently swirl the bottles to mix the
ingredients.

7. Place the bottles in a warm, dark location such as a kitchen cabinet. This will
eliminate light as a possible cause of any changes. Observe the bottles at 15-
minute intervals. Notice any changes that occur in the bottles or to the
balloons. Record your observations under "Data for Part 1."

8. After 2 hours, use a measuring tape to measure the circumference of (length

around) each balloon, being sure to measure at the widest part. Record your
measurements in the data table under "Data for Part 1."

Data for Part 1: Observing Evidence of Cellular Respiration

What changes, if any, did you notice in the bottles or balloons as you made
observations?

Answer:

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 The balloons on bottles with no sugar did not expand.

The balloons on bottles with sugar took 30 minutes to start expanding.

The bottles that contain sugar expanded more with every observation.

Foam formed on top of the solution in bottles that contain sugar.

Data Table for Observing Cellular Respiration

Circumference of balloon (inches)

No sugar Some sugar More sugar

Trial 1 0 8.5 10.5

(bottles 1, 3, & 5)

Trial 2 0 7.5 11.5

(bottles 2, 4, & 6)

Part 2: Observing Evidence of Photosynthesis

To observe evidence of photosynthesis in action, prepare the following experimental

setup.

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 9. Use a marker and tape to label 3 clean clear drinking glasses:
#1: 0 inches
#2: 10 inches
#3: 20 inches

10. Place a pinch of baking soda in each glass. The baking soda adds CO2 to the
water when it dissolves.

11. Fill each drinking glass with room-temperature water; use either distilled water
or dechlorinated tap water.

12. Get 3 sprigs of a living plant, and cut about ½ inch from the end of the stem
with scissors. Making a fresh cut at the end of the stem ensures that the cells
there are still living. Gently crush the end of the stem between your fingers.

13. Place each sprig in a separate glass, and make sure that the stem and leaves
are fully submerged. You may need to use a weight such as a paper clip to keep
each sprig submerged.

14. Place each glass near a bright source of light, such as a sunny windowsill or a
150 W lamp. Position each glass at a different distance (for example, 0 inches,
10 inches, and 20 inches) from the light source.

15. Collect data for the type of plant you used.

Landscape plants:
a. Observe the sprigs at 15-minute intervals. Look for tiny bubbles on the
leaves and stems. Record your observations under "Data for Part 2."

b. After 1 hour, count the number of bubbles you can see on one leaf (if the
leaves are relatively large) or on the entire sprig (if the leaves are very
small). Start with the glass farthest from the light source. Repeat the
count for the middle glass and the closest glass. Record the numbers in
the data table under "Data for Part 2."

c. Repeat all your counts two more times.

Water plants:

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 d. Observe the sprigs at 5-minute intervals. Look for tiny bubbles on the
leaves and stems. Record your observations under "Data for Part 2."

e. When bubbles start rising from the plants, count the number of bubbles
that reach the surface over a 2-minute period. Start with the glass farthest
from the light source. Repeat the count for the middle glass and the
closest glass. Record the numbers in the data table under "Data for Part
2."

f. Repeat all your counts two more times.

Data for Part 2: Observing Evidence of Photosynthesis

What changes, if any, did you notice in the bottles or balloons as you made
observations?

Describe what you see occurring in your experimental setup.

Sample observations: I see bubbles forming on the surfaces of the plant.

More bubbles are present at each observation.

Data Table for Observing Photosynthesis

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 Distance from light source (inches)
Number of bubbles

0 10 20

Count #1 24 14 5

Count #2 30 15 7

Count #3 28 13 6

Analyze Data and Draw Conclusions (50 points)

1. In part 1, you collected data about how the amount of sugar affects the amount of
gas produced. Analyze those data and draw a conclusion. (20 points)

a. What gas inflated the balloons? (2 points)

b. Find the average circumference of the two balloons with each amount of sugar.
Show your work. (6 points)

No sugar:

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 Some sugar:

More sugar:

c. Create a bar graph of the data, with the amount of sugar on the x-axis and the
resulting average circumference of the balloon on the y-axis. (6 points)

d. What do your data tell you about how the amount of sugar affects the rate of
cellular respiration performed by the yeast? Remember that a rate involves a
change in amount over time. Does this answer make sense? Why or why not? (6
points)

2. In part 2, you collected data about how the amount of light affects the amount of

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gas produced by a plant. Analyze those data and draw a conclusion. (20 points)

a. What gas did the bubbles formed by the plant contain? (2 points)

b. Find the average number of bubbles at each distance from the light source.
Show your work. (6 points)

Farthest:

Middle:

Closest:

c. From the perspective of the plants, how did the characteristics of the light (color
and intensity) vary with the distance from the light source? Explain your
conclusions. (4 points)

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 d. What do your data tell you about how the intensity (amount) of light affects the
rate of photosynthesis performed by the plant? Remember that a rate involves a
change in amount over time. Does this answer make sense? Why or why not? (6
points)

3. In your experiment, you created two separate systems: cellular respiration in part 1,
and photosynthesis in part 2. Explain whether these two separate systems are a good
representation of the way cellular respiration and photosynthesis work in the natural
world. Can living things survive in a system involving only cellular respiration or only
photosynthesis? If not, how could you use similar materials to set up a new
experiment that would better model the real world? (3 points)

4. Think about the carbon cycle. Describe how each of the two systems in your

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experiment modeled aspects of the cycling of carbon on Earth. Which parts of the
Earth system — the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere — were
represented by your models? Which part or parts were missing? (3 points)

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