Photosynthesis – Algal Ball Experiment

Rationale

Photosynthesis is a biochemical process in which light energy is used to synthesize glucose and oxygen from carbon
dioxide and water. Glucose, is utilized to support plant and/or algae growth, reproduction and metabolism. The
overall process can be represented as a balanced chemical equation:

6 CO 2+ 6 H 2 O→ C 6 H 12 O 6 +6 O2
Photosynthesis can be observed through the use of Algal balls. Algal balls are the green alga “Scenedesmus
quadricauda” immobilized in alginate beads. ('Algal balls' - Photosynthesis using algae wrapped in jelly balls, 2020).
These beads are placed in vials filled with a hydrogen carbonate (HCO3) indicator and a water solution.

If the algal balls are activated and exposed to light, they will absorb carbon dioxide from the solution. As a result of
the lowered carbon dioxide levels, the pH of the solution will rise. Thus, making the solution more basic, changing
colours, from light yellow to purple as photosynthesis occurs, which is observed through the change in pH.

CO 2+ H 2 O↔ H 2 CO 3
pH is the term used for "power of Hydrogen", which identifies the concentration of H+ ions so that the acidity or
alkalinity of a solution can be found. (pH | Definition, Uses, & Facts, 2020)

Naturally, light is mandatory for photosynthesis to occur. Without enough light, photosynthesis is difficult - even
with plenty of water and carbon dioxide. (What is photosynthesis?, 2020) Increasing the light intensity, increases the
rate of photosynthesis until a limiting factor becomes in short supply.

To acquire different light intensities, the distance from the light source can be changed

To investigate whether light intensity influences the rate of photosynthesis, an experiment was conducted by
Southern Biological, Australia. This experiment originally asks the question, “Does light intensity affect the rate of
photosynthesis?” This can be refined further by considering distances and time. Therefore, the research question to
be addressed is as follows: What is the relationship between light intensity (5cm, 10cm and 15cm) and the rate of
photosynthesis after exposure to light over 50 minutes?

Modification to Experiment

The methodology used has been adapted from experiment:

 Southern Biological – Algal Ball Photosynthesis: https://www.southernbiological.com/algal-ball-

photosynthesis/

The original experiment used algal balls with a hydrogen carbonate indicator to investigate rates of photosynthesis
with a light source 30 centimetres away.

To ensure sufficient and relevant data was collected, the original experiment was modified to increase the number
of trials from 1 to 3 (simultaneously) and increased from 1 distance to 3, as the original experiment was limited in
testing the dependant variable (rate of photosynthesis). The reliability and validity were improved by narrowing the
research question to investigate one independent variable (distance) and minimising errors in distance, number of
trials and pH levels. In the modified experiment, the number of trials is increased to gain better averages. Also, data
will be taken with 10-minute increments in order to measure the rate of change with better precision.

Management of Risks

 Dispose of used algal balls, do not pour down sink as it can cause Butrification (Algal Blooms), this can
significantly impact the environment negatively, therefore dispose of algal balls accordingly
 Dispose of hydrogen carbonate indicator accordingly after use
 Adhere to safety considerations whilst handling possibly hot light source
 In order to avoid contamination, avoid unnecessary handling of bottles
 In order to prevent chemical H 2 CO 3, can cause irritation if comes into contact with skin, avoid touching
H 2 CO 3
 The glass vials might break if dropped, avoid unnecessary handling of vials

Raw Data (See Appendix)

Processed Data

Table 1: Sample Calculations (Light Intensity: 5cm)

Calculation Examples
Mean Trial 1+Trial 2+ Trial 3
Mean=
3
8.8+8.6+ 8.6
3
¿ 8.67
Range Range=Max Value – MinValue
8.93−8.67
¿ 0.26
Absolute Uncertainty Absolute Uncertainty=Range/2
8.87−8.2/2=0.3

Rate of Change (Rate of Photosynthesis/Change in pH) f ( b ) −f ( a)

b−a
8.87−8.2
50−0
¿ 0.0134
Table 2: Calculated Data for 5cm light intensity
Distance: 5cm
Time (Mins) 0 10 20 30 40 50
pH Mean 8.2 8.2 8.6 8.67 8.8 8.87
Range 0.67
Uncertainty 0.335
Rate of Change 0.0134
Distance: 10cm
Time (Mins) 0 10 20 30 40 50
pH Mean 8.2 8.2 8.4 8.6 8.733 8.8

Range 0.6
Uncertainty 0.3
Rate of Change 0.012
Table 3: Calculated data for 10cm light intensity
Table 4: Calculated data for 15cm light intensity

Distance: 15cm
Time (Mins) 0 10 20 30 40 50
pH Mean 8.2 8.2 8.4 8.6 8.6 8.6
Range 0.4
Uncertainty 0.2
Rate of Change 0.008
 Final pH Levels Linear (Final pH Levels)

8.9 8.87
R² = 0.93
8.85
8.8
9
Average Change in pH (Photosynthesis)
8.8
5cm Linear (5cm) 10cm Linear (10cm) 15cm Linear (15cm)
R² = 0.91 8.75

8.7
8.8
R² = 0.96
8.65
8.6
R² = 0.85 8.6
Average Change in ph (photosynthesis)

8.6
8.55

8.5

8.4 8.45
4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Distance/Light Intensity (cm)

8.2

7.8
0 10 20 30 40 50

Time
Figure 1: Linearized Rate of Change in pH for distance (5cm, 10cm, (minutes)
15cm) over time, error bars represented by absolute uncertainty

Calculated Rate of Change for figure 2: -0.018

Analysis of Data

Figure 1 depicts the rate of pH (rate of photosynthesis) gradually increasing at each time increment with all
distances, however at different rates and ending with different pH levels. The vial 5cm from the light source has the
highest rate of change as it starts with the standard pH of 8.2±0 and ends with an average pH level of 8.87±0.335 at
50 minutes with a rate of change of 0.0134 pH level increase per 50 minutes. The vial with the 10cm distance has the
second highest average pH change as it ends at 8.8±0.3 at 50 minutes, with a rate of change of 0.012 pH level
increase per 50 minutes. The vial 15cm has the lowest average pH as it reached 8.6±0.2 at 30 minutes and did not
change for the rest of the trial, with the lowest rate of change of 0.008 pH level increase per 50 minutes. It is to be
noted that there is an inverse relationship between the distance from a light source (light intensity) and the rate of
photosynthesis as shown in figure 2. The R 2 values are all significantly close to the mean values, suggesting that the
calculated rate of change is more accurate. The Error Bars are significantly overlapping between 0 minutes and 50
minutes, this suggests that the results for each light intensity falls within the same uncertainty range.

Figure 2 depicts the final pH levels for each distance of 5cm, 10cm and 15cm (varying light intensity). The vial 5cm
from light source has a measured final average pH level of 8.87±0.335, 10cm from light source had a final average pH
level of 8.8±0.3 and a final pH level for 15cm measured at 8.6±0.2. This further supports that increased light intensity

Figure 2: Final mean pH measurements of each distance/light intensities (error bars represented by mean
uncertainty)
(increased distances) will increase the rate of photosynthesis as the difference between each light intensity
(distance) is -0.018 pH level per distance, showing the rate of photosynthesis decreases at lower light intensities.
Therefore, it is to be noted that the higher light intensities reach higher pH levels significantly faster than the lower
light intensity, thus demonstrating a faster rate of photosynthesis being dependent on high light intensity.

Uncertainties and limitations

Uncertainty in the experiment can be attributed to the pH scale increasing by increments of 0.2 as the process of
interpreting the pH level is flawed, therefore the measured pH levels have an uncertainty of ±0.1. There is also some
uncertainty as to using a wrist watch to measure time due to the watch not being exact, also there is uncertainty by
using a ruler to measure the distance from the light source to the vials.

In terms of limitations, measuring the pH using a naked eye may render calculations slightly inaccurate as the human
eye has a limited ability to gather light, thus limiting the accuracy of the pH levels. The pH scale is another limitation
as it does not extend beyond 7.6 or 9.2, therefore, a higher or lower pH cannot be calculated accurately as it is
limited to the measurements of 7.6 to 9.2. There was a limited amount of algal balls for each vial, thus this may
affect how fast the rate of photosynthesis can occur at each distance. The low sample size of 3 trials per distance in
this experiment is a major factor in determining the consistency of the rate of photosynthesis between the three
light intensities as these are averaged, thus one compromised trial may lead to inaccuracy during calculations.
Another limitation is the experimental vials can be light compromised as each cover had to be removed for a period
of time in order to measure the pH levels. This can limit the accuracy of the experiment as photosynthesis is
dependent on light and can absorb an unwanted amount of light during this procedure. Consequently, the evidence
is limited in its ability to be used to extrapolate the accurate rate of photosynthesis for each distance.

Interpretation and Evaluation

Conclusion
RQ: What is the relationship between light intensity (5cm, 10cm and 15cm) and the rate of photosynthesis after
exposure to light over 50 minutes?
The evidence suggests the rate of photosynthesis has an inverse relationship with light intensity, as the distance
from the light source increases, the rate of photosynthesis in the algal balls decreases. This is shown through the
calculated rates of change, with the vial 5cm from the light source having the highest rate of change; 0.0134 pH level
increase per 50 minutes, and the vial 15cm from light source having the lowest rate of change; 0.008 pH level
increase per 50 minutes.

Reliability and validity

The reliability can be considered to be marginally lowered as the pH scale to measure the colour of the algal balls
had increments of 0.2, demonstrating the pH values to have an uncertainty of ±0.1. However, the pH recorded from
all trials are relatively consistent (refer to data table 2,3 and 4) as the R2 values indicate precision with the mean
value, thus while there is uncertainty in the experiment, the conclusion drawn from it would be relatively similar.
Whilst there are uncertainties, such as the increments of 0.2 and measuring time using a wrist watch, they are not
significant enough to vary results in order to reach a different conclusion. Thus, there is a relatively high reliability
within the experimental data.

The validity of this experiment is reasonable as the limitations and uncertainties are not significantly high. If the
experiment was repeated with the same light source, the intensities would be more constant, therefore increasing
the validity. Although there are low sample sizes, such as the pH scale not extending beyond 7.6 to 9.2, the
experiment allows the ability to measure the rate of photosynthesis relatively accurately, thus it did not affect the
experiment drastically. The validity is slightly lowered as there was a limitation of using the naked eye to measure
the changing colour, which is relatively inefficient, however, while this may limit some ability to gain data this does
not vary the conclusion of the experiment significantly. Therefore, the experiment can be considered valid as it
successfully tests the rate of photosynthesis in regards to varying light intensities.

Improvements and extensions

To improve, light contamination can be decreased if the experiment were to be carried out in a dark room to
prevent sources of light, other than the intended light source, from influencing the results. This also negates the
need for box covers, thus increasing the accuracy of the experiment. The amount of algal balls used can be
increased, in order to have a visually stronger measurement of the rate of photosynthesis.
To extend the experiment, a trial group of controlled vials should be placed in the dark without any exposure to
light. Another way is to increase the number of light intensities to search for the optimum light intensity for the algal
balls. Also, to measure results, use devices other than the naked eye to record results as the experiment progress,
for example, a video camera to look back at results.

References
BBC Bitesize. 2020. What Is Photosynthesis?. [online] Available at:
<https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zvrrd2p/articles/zn4sv9q> [Accessed 17 May 2020].

Encyclopedia Britannica. 2020. Ph | Definition, Uses, & Facts. [online] Available at:
<https://www.britannica.com/science/pH> [Accessed 21 May 2020].

Saps.org.uk. 2020. 'Algal Balls' - Photosynthesis Using Algae Wrapped In Jelly Balls. [online] Available
at: <https://www.saps.org.uk/secondary/teaching-resources/235-student-sheet-23-
photosynthesis-using-algae-wrapped-in-jelly-balls> [Accessed 17 May 2020].

SchoolWorkHelper. 2020. Lab Answers: How Does Light Intensity Affect The Rate Of Photosynthesis.
[online] Available at: <https://schoolworkhelper.net/lab-answers-how-does-light-intensity-
affect-the-rate-of-photosynthesis/> [Accessed 17 May 2020].

Southernbiological.com. 2020. Algal Ball Photosynthesis. [online] Available at:

<https://www.southernbiological.com/algal-ball-photosynthesis/> [Accessed 17 May 2020].

Appendix
Raw experimental data