`Aidan Niles

Sci. 4 11/14/13

Photosynthesis Summative Project

PROBLEM: If you double the distance of light, will the rate of photosynthesis will decrease by half? HYPOTHESIS: If the distance of light is doubled, than the rate of photosynthesis will decrease by 25%. THEORY: Photosynthesis is the process in which a plant produces energy. Using carbon dioxide, water, and light, the photosynthesis process converts these products into oxygen and glucose. The oxygen and glucose are used for other processes such as cellular respiration. Photosynthesis converts unstable light energy into stable chemical energy that is utilized for life functions. My hypothesis was that if the distance of light is doubled, than the rate of photosynthesis would decrease by 25%. An article called the Nature of Light states that light energy is inversely proportional to the wavelength. The longer the wavelength, the light becomes redder. The shorter the wavelengths are, the light edges to the more violet side of the spectrum. It said that light, due to being inversely proportional, the distance is quartered.

PROCEDURE: For Light Intensity 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 water and baking soda solution (1 tsp to 100 mL of water). 6. Put tube in rack and adjust lamp 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 at 10 cm with same size and mass elodea 10. Repeat for Trial 2 DATA/OBSERVATIONS:
Trial 1: 1.6 grams
Small x 1 Distance 5 cm

Oxygen Produced in 3 minutes at 5 and 10 cm

Medium x 2 Large x 3 Total

101=10

32=6

13=3

19

10 cm

51=5

12=2

03=0

Notes: Trial 2 1.4 grams

Small x 1 Distance 5 cm

Oxygen Produced in 3 minutes at 5 and 10 cm

Medium x 2 Large x 3 Total

111=11 61=6

22=4 12=2

03=0

15 8

10 cm

Notes: Average for Two Trails

Trials 1 2 Total AVE/2 5 cm 19 15 34 17 10 cm 7 8 15 7.5

2013 Class Data: Light Intensity

5cm CLASS PERIOD AVERAGES 1 2 3 4 6 7 TOTAL/6 AVERAGE 35 29 16.3 17 52.3 40.8 190.4/6 31.7 51.5 10 12.3 7.5 29.5 45 155.8 26 32% increase 66% decrease 25% decrease 56% decrease 44% decrease 9% increase 18% decrease 18% decrease 10cm % Oxygen Decrease/Increase

2013 Data Graph:

50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

Amount Of Oxygen Bubbles

31.7 26 17 7.5 5 cm 10 cm

Group 2

7th Grade l Average Distance of Light

CONCLUSION: If you double the distance of light, then the rate of photosynthesis will decrease by 50%. Based on the research done, this is true. In the data taken, the amount of oxygen bubbles produced at 5cm was 17. The oxygen bubbles produced when the light was 10cm away was 7.5. This was a 56% decrease. My hypothesis was partially correct. The rate of photosynthesis did decrease, but the amount it decreased was 31% off of my expectations. For the 7th average, the rate of photosynthesis decreased by 18%. This is closer than my groups data. Therefore, I am also partially here as well. In conclusion, my hypothesis was correct. ANALYSIS: After studying the 2013 data on the light intensity experiment, some discrepancies were found. Periods 7 and 1 had an increased rate of photosynthesis when the light was 10cm from the plant. These discrepancies may have occurred due to not positioning the microscope exactly, not preparing the elodea properly, or the depth of the elodea in the test tube. Since we are looking at data from 7 different groups, each group had a different people prepare their elodea, microscopes, and count. Considering these factors, the data being invalid is likely. If we were to remove the outliers, the numbers would look something like this. The average amount of bubbles for 5cm without the outliers is 19.1 and the average for 10cm is 14.8. Some ways you could improve the reliability of the experiment. First, the elodea should have crushed by the same person for each group. This would increase the reliability because with one man preparing all the elodea, he is more likely to make all the elodea the same. Also, people should have all used the same lamp for each group. This would make it so that the results are more likely to have less inconsistences because more things are being controlled. The elodea for each group should have been cut to exactly the same length and placed an exact depth in the test tube. While the lamp may be 5 or 10cm away, the depth of the plant in the test tube will also increase the distance. 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. "Plant Management in Florida Waters : An Integrated Approach." Photosynthesis. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.