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Salah Alameddine

Ms. Ravindrarajah

SBI 4U1

05 April 2021

The Effect Of Light Intensity On The Rate

Of Photosynthesis Occuring In Spinacia Oleracea Leaves

Abstract:

The purpose of this lab is to determine the effect of different light intensities on

the rate of photosynthesis within spinach leaves. Since photosynthesis is the primary source of

oxygen in the atmosphere, it is essential for all living organisms. Photosynthesis is the process by

which trees and other green plants convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water in the atmosphere

into glucose. In this lab the spinach leaves were hole punched and put in a sodium bicarbonate

solution at six different light intensities in order to determine the light intensities effect on

photosynthesis. The five different light intensities in this lab was first base intensity which was

just the light from the room, lamp light 13 cm above the spinach, 18 cm above spinach, 23 cm

above, 28 cm above, and 33 cm above. The results claim that the stronger the light intensity or

the closer the light lamp was to the spinach the rate of photosynthesis was quicker. The lab

results are as follows: At base light intensity or the light emitted from the room it took 728

seconds for 5 spinach discs to float, at 13 cm of light intensity it took 352 seconds for the first 5

spinach disks to float, at 18 cm it took 548 seconds, at 23 it took 430 seconds, at 28 cm it took

1187 seconds, and at 33 cm it took 1327 seconds for 5 spinach disks to float. Since oxygen is
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released quicker as the reaction takes less time, the rate of photosynthesis increases, allowing the

spinach discs to lose density and float to the surface.

Introduction:

Photosynthesis is the conversion of carbon dioxide into sugar using light energy. There

have been several breakthroughs that have helped us to better understand how species affect the

environment, but none have been as significant or beneficial as photosynthesis. Jan Baptista van

Helmont, a Belgian chemist, physiologist, and physician, discovered photosynthesis in part in the

1600s. Helmont conducted a five-year study of a willow tree that he planted in a pot with soil

and held in a stable climate. Over the course of five years, the willow tree was watered with

caution and attention. Helmont concluded that the tree's growth was due to the nutrients it

obtained from the water, not the soil, at the conclusion of his experiment. Helmont's hypothesis

was incorrect, but his experiment demonstrated that water aids plant development

(Photosynthesis Education 2019).

Jan Ingenhousz was also a key figure in the discovery of photosynthesis. He was a Dutch

chemist, biologist, and physiologist who discovered that plants produce oxygen in the late 1770s

by essential experiments. Submerged plants were put in the sun and then in the shade by

Ingenhousz. When the plants were in the sunshine, he found that they produced tiny bubbles.

Bubbles were no longer formed by these plants after they were moved into the shade. Because of

his discovery Ingenhousz concluded that plants use light energy to produce oxygen

(Photosynthesis Education 2019).

Jean Senebier, a Swiss botanist, priest, and naturalist, demonstrated in 1796 that plants

use sunlight to absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. Nicolas-Théodore de Saussure
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showed in the early 1800s that, while plants require carbon dioxide, the increased mass of

developing plants is due to both carbon dioxide and water absorption (Photosynthesis Education

2019).

Thomes Engelmann conducted a crystal prism experiment in 1883. Spirogyra algae

provide oxygen primarily in the blue and red sections of the spectrum, according to his findings.

This finding suggests that the primary photosynthetic pigment accepts blue and red light while

reflecting green light. This definition is ideally suited to blue-green chlorophyll (LibreTexts

2020).

In 1954, a Polish-born American physiologist named Daniel J. Arnon took charge of a

large-scale research project that resulted in better understanding of the photosynthesis

mechanism. Growing up on a family farm, Arnon started to cultivate his agricultural skills at a

young age. His study revealed that sunlight energy is used to add an extra phosphate to the

already existing adenosine diphosphate to create adenosine triphosphate. Aside from his

findings, Arnon was the first scientist to replicate photosynthesis in the laboratory, producing

sugar and starch from carbon dioxide and water (historicalcasestudyphotosynthesis 2021).
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Figure 1: A cross section of a leaf's fundamental structure

A plant's leaves are one of the most essential components. Figure 1 depicts the general

form of a leaf. The majority of the gases required by plants are obtained from their leaves. Gases

diffuse into leaves through pores on the underside of the leaf. These are called the stoma. They

take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen through the intercellular spaces of the leaf (S-cool

2020). Dish soap was used in this experiment because of its ability to break down the waxy

cuticle, which is a layer of hydrophobic molecules on the surface of the leaf that resists the

solvent. The bicarbonate solution was able to enter the cells because of the dish soap, and the

leaves were able to absorb it (TranslationalPhotosynthesis 2021).

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Since leaves are made up of a variety of gases, they are less dense than sodium

bicarbonate solution, allowing them to float. As the leaf's gasses are extracted out, the leaf

becomes more dense than the sodium bicarbonate solution, causing the leaf to sink. During

photosynthesis, oxygen is emitted into the leaf's interior, changing its buoyancy and allowing it

to float. Since cellular respiration and oxygen consumption occur at the same time, the rate at

which the disks rise is an indirect measurement of the net rate of photosynthesis

(TranslationalPhotosynthesis 2021). Photosynthesis is perhaps the most important biological

process on the planet, so understanding it is essential. Photosynthesis aids in the regulation of the

composition of our atmosphere. Understanding photosynthesis is also critical to comprehending

how carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases impact the global climate.Since photosynthesis

is the primary source of oxygen in the atmosphere, it is also essential to living organisms. The

carbon cycle would not be able to function without photosynthesis, resulting in the death of all

living organisms (L. Brenner 2019).

The purpose of this lab experiment is to determine the effect light intensity has on the rate

of photosynthesis in spinach leaves. We hypothesized that the greater the light intensity the faster

the rate of photosynthesis in the Spinacia Oleracea leaves.

Matrials & Methods:

In a beaker, 100 mL of 0.25 percent sodium bicarbonate solution was poured, along with

5 drops of liquid dish soap, and gently stirred to prevent bubbles. Then, using a single-hole

punch, 10 leaf disks were removed from the spinach leaf while avoiding major leaf veins. A

clean syringe's plunger was removed, and 10 spinach leaf disks were inserted in the syringe's

body. The leaf disks were placed near the syringe's tip so that when the plunger was reinserted,
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the disks would not be damaged. The syringe tip was placed into the sodium bicarbonate

solution, and the solution was drawn out until the syringe was half-filled. The syringe tip was

held upwards and the air was expelled by carefully depressing the plunger to infiltrate the leaf

disks with the sodium bicarbonate solution. After that, the syringe was gently tapped to suspend

the leaf disks, and the top of the syringe was tightly secured with an index finger. The plunger

was then pulled back to create a partial vacuum inside the syringe, which was maintained for 10

seconds before being extracted and the index finger removed from the syringe's tip. The

procedure was repeated until ten leaf disks had sunk to the syringe's bottom. The solution and

sunken disks were poured back into the beaker. A lamp was placed at a controlled height by

using a ruler and tested at different heights depending on the variable.The variables being tested

were 33 cm, 28 cm, 23 cm, 18 cm, 13 cm, and the light emitted from the room. The time it took

for five leaf disks to float was recorded using a stopwatch.

Results:

The length of time it takes for 5 Spinacia oleracea disks to float to the top of the beaker

in proportion to the light intensity the beaker is put under is used to make observations.

According to the data gathered in this lab, the greater the light intensity, the faster the

photosynthesis rate of reaction occurs. After analyzing results,we saw an increase of flotation

time as the concentration of light decreased. Our hypothesis was supported based on our

evidence and observations.

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Table 1: The Time Taken For 5 Spinacia oleracea Disks to Float in a Sodium Bicarbonate

Solution and its Corresponding Light Intensity.

Height of Light Source (cm) Time (seconds)

Room Light 728

33 1327

28 1187

23 430

18 548

13 352
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Figure 2: Light Intensity Used For a Photosynthesis Reaction Versus Time Taken for 5

Spinacea Oleracea Disks to Float in a Sodium Bicarbonate Solution.

The graph above depicts the relationship between photosynthesis light intensity and the

time it takes 5 Spinacea oleracea disks to float in a sodium bicarbonate solution. For the most

part, the graph has a negative slope. This means that as the light intensity increases, the time

required for the rate of reaction decreases.

Discussion:

In figure 2 the graph is mostly in a straight line and somewhat increasing at a

constant rate. The longest time taken for the photosynthesis rate of reaction was 1327 seconds
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and this was when the lamp was placed 33 cm above the beaker. And the least amount of time

taken was 352 seconds and this was when the lamp was 13 cm above the beaker. As the light

intensity directed towards the beaker increased the rate of photosynthesis decreased until it

reached 23 cm which then only took 430 seconds for the spinach disks to photosynthesis this

took less time then the 18 cm which could be due to an experimental error. The optimal intensity

for the photosynthesis rate of reaction was 13 cm, taking only 352 seconds for 5 spinach disks to

float. And at 33 cm the rate of photosynthesis took the longest at 1327 seconds because at such a

low light intensity the enzymes that carry out photosynthesis do not work effectively, and thus

decreases the rate of photosynthesis. This leads to a decrease in glucose production and will

result in stunted growth.

A similar experiment was done online where the group members tested the effects of

light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis. The only difference was that in their experiment

they did not test the intensity of light but the presence of light. They found that the spinach

leaves that had the presence of light did float to the surface. But the spinach leaves that were

shaded and had no light did not float at all. And as time went on more leafs under the light

started to float and still those shaded from the light did not float at all. This is because light is

very crucial for the photosynthesis to occur (Quarter Four 2021). Other studies have shown

similar trends. In Northwest A&F University a similar experiment was done where they

researched the effects of light intensity on photosynthesis and had similar results. The stronger

the light intensity the faster the rate of photosynthesis (ScienceDirect 2015).
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Despite the fact that many precautions were taken during the photosynthesis rate of the

reaction experiment, there may be a variety of errors that influence the precision of the findings

that are beyond our control. A mistake, such as the creation of bubbles caused by the combining

of dish soap and sodium bicarbonate solution, may have hampered the consistency of the results.

Since the leaf disks appear to absorb light, the bubbles will block light from reaching them. The

various leaves used in the experiment may have also influenced the findings. It's possible that

older and younger leaves were mixed together, with the older leaves requiring more energy and

light to mature. This will allow them to photosynthesise more slowly, resulting in a difference in

the outcome. Furthermore, the alignment of the leaf disks may have contributed to the error.

Since the leaves are intertwined, light will only enter the disks on the top, while the disk on the

bottom will have no access to the light since it is only coming from one direction. Vacuoles could

have potentially bursted as a result of too much vacuum. This will prevent the leaves from

photosynthesizing and obtaining the oxygen they need to float. Finally, the cutting of the leaves

to create disks on the places of the leaves where major veins are may have affected the results of

the experiment. Since the veins are involved in the photosynthesis reaction, having them in the

disks will slow down the process of photosynthesis, making the disk take longer to float.
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Works Cited

Discovery of Photosynthesis. (2019), April 13). Retrieved April 07, 2021, from

https://photosynthesiseducation.com/discovery-of-photosynthesis/

Libretexts, & Shipunov, A. (2020, July 14). Discovery of Photosynthesis. Retrieved April 09,

2021, from

https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Botany/Book:_Introduction_to_Botany_(Shipunov)/03:_P

hotosynthesis/3.01:_Discovery_of_Photosynthesis

1941-present. (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2021, from

https://historicalcasestudyphotosynth.weebly.com/1941-present.html#:~:text=In%20addition%20

to%20Robert%20Woodward's,light%20requiring%20steps%20of%20photosynthesis.

Translational Photosynthesis. (2021, April 05). Retrieved April 05, 2021, from

https://photosynthesis.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Floating-Leaf-Disks-for-Investigatin

Photosynthesis.pdf

Brenner, L. (2019, November 22). Why Is Photosynthesis Important for All Organisms?

Retrieved April 12, 2021, from

https://sciencing.com/photosynthesis-important-organisms-6389083.html
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MA, P., BAI, T., WANG, X., & MA, F. (2015, September 06). Effects of light intensity on

photosynthesis and photoprotective mechanisms in apple under progressive drought.

Retrieved April 15, 2021, from

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095311915611480

Meredith, H., Kylan, H., Geetha, K., Heather, R. (2021, April 16). Quarter Four: Lab

Report. Retrieved April 16, 2021, from

https://www.gmsdk12.org/Downloads/Roth%20Model%20Lab%20Report.pdf