SHAIRA B.

COGOLLODO
GENERAL PHYSIOLOGY SEATWORK

The table to the right summarizes Trevor’s data:

Using your understanding of photosynthesis, analyze this experiment. As a part of your answer,
be sure to:

Trevor determines the rate of photosynthesis of an aquatic plant by counting the number of
oxygen bubbles produced per minute. Assume each bubble contains the same volume of gas.
He places a light source 40 cm above the aquatic plant and uses four different colors of light,
one at a time.

A. (4 points) Graph your data, using a bar graph. Include a title, both axis labels, and bar
labels.
B. (4 points) Explain why counting the number of oxygen bubbles produced per minute is
an acceptable method to determine the rate of photosynthesis.
-Both sugar and oxygen are the two main products of photosynthesis. The amount of the
production of oxygen is akin to the amount of production of sugar. In other words, the more
oxygen bubbles are formed, the more photosynthesis occurred, which also means that there is
a greater rate of sugar production. Thus, one can conclude that this used method is acceptable
since the greater flow of oxygen will correspond to a higher rate of photosynthesis.

C. (4 points) Explain why white and green light colors cause different rates of
photosynthesis.
-Light is a vital factor in photosynthesis to provide energy for the synthesis of glucose from
carbon dioxide and water. To initiate photosynthesis, pigments in plants absorb light. Of course,
different pigments absorb different wavelengths of light, and various colors will directly correlate
with the rate of photosynthesis. From the data, one can see that the rate of photosynthesis was
the most successful in white light. Since white light is a mixture of several wavelengths of colors,
when exposed to a plant, the plant will absorb the most energy from the white light, resulting in
the fastest rate of photosynthesis. Hence, there are pretty many bubbles recorded in the white
light. On the other hand, the one with the lowest photosynthesis rate was the green light since
they are reflected by the chlorophyll of the plants instead of being absorbed.

D. (3 points) Predict the results of Trevor’s experiment if he moves the light source to 100
cm away from the plant. Explain your reasoning.
-If Trevor were to move the light source farther away, the rates of photosynthesis for all four
colors would lower. Light is an essential factor in photosynthesis because, without it, the entire
process would not be possible. Remember, it is the light energy that fuels the reactions that
transform carbon dioxide and water (reactants) into oxygen and carbohydrates. As the intensity
of light increases, so would the rate of photosynthesis. So, if he would move the light source
farther from the plant, only a tiny amount of light will be absorbed by the plants. The lesser the
amount of light available, the lesser the amount of light absorbed, and less oxygen, as
represented by the bubbles, is released.