The Significance of Limiting Factors

for Photosynthesis

Research Question
To what extent does reactant maximization affect the rate of photosynthesis in correlation
to limiting factors?

Background
What (green) plants can perform that most other organisms cannot would be

photosynthesis, or to elaborate, a process in which light energy is converted into (plant) ‘food’.

Plants’ speciality to do so gives them the title of ‘autotrophs’; they are able to produce their own

food (A.K.A sugar). Photosynthesis occurs only in green plants or some other green organisms

due to the reason that they contain chlorophyll, a green pigment which largely contributes to the

absorption of light energy. Light however, is not the only reactant needed to perform

photosynthesis. Along light, carbon dioxide (CO 2) and water (H2O) are required. The following

shows a general equation of photosynthesis:

Sunlight + 6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2

With most things, too much or too little of something is not optimal, if not harmful; it is

the same with the reactants for photosynthesis. A concern often brought up with regards to

photosynthesis and its reactants would be the limiting factors. A limiting factor is essentially

“anything in short supply that prevents photosynthesis occurring at its maximum rate”
(bbc.co.uk). The three main potential limiting factors of photosynthesis would be the amount of

light intensity, CO2, and/or H2O. Nevertheless, there are more factors than just the three, which I

have put attention to in this report. This report has the objective to verify the extent to which the

amount of photosynthesis reactants (light and temperature specifically) will optimize the

photosynthesis rate of spinach.

Hypothesis

It is probable that the spinach will photosynthesize best in the cooler condition, as

according to extension.psu.edu , 10°C - 15°C is optimal for spinach growth. And as for the light

intensity, the brightest wattage is believed to be the ideal light intensity for the spinach to

photosynthesize with, as increasing light intensity will supposedly increase the rate of

photosynthesis (bbc.co.uk ).

Methodology

The investigation was performed with the following materials/lab apparatuses: fresh

spinach leaves (6 stems of leaves for 6 samples), 6 conical flasks, two 600 mL beakers (or

larger),both filled with water at least half-way through, a temperature probe, ice cubes, a portable

electric stove, a ring stand with clamps, playdough, a 40 WATT lightbulb, a 60 WATT lightbulb,

and a 100 WATT lightbulb, and a O 2 sensor and the Vernier graph application. Since there are

three different light intensities, and different temperatures are tested as well, each light intensity

was paired with one ‘kind’ of temperature: hot and cold. The ‘hot’ temperature was prepared by

heating the water in the beaker with an electric stove, and the ‘cold’ temperature was prepared by

adding sufficient amounts of ice into the other beaker of water. To prepare for the experiment, a
‘branch’ of fresh spinach leaves were placed in each of the 6 conical flasks. Three conical flasks

were bathed in heated water, and the remaining were bathed in ice water. For each temperature,

each of the spinach leaves were exposed to the three light intensities: 40 WATTs, 60 WATTs, 100

WATTs. The temperatures for the heated samples ranged from 31°C - 48°C, and the cold

samples ranged from around 5°C - 15°C. Before collecting the data, the flask is clamped and left

‘floated’ in the water so that it does not touch the beaker, as well as the temperature probe, and

the O2 sensor was inserted in the conical flask and sealed with playdough to prevent excess gas

leaks. Each of the six samples were exposed to their appropriate temperatures and light

intensities for 300 seconds. The rate of photosynthesis was measured by calculating the slope

from start to finish by amount of O2 produced per time (O2%/s).

Results

The spinach in the 40-WATT and heated condition photosynthesized most, having a rate

of 0.00164 (O2%/s) with an average of 42.8°C. The rest of the conditions showed a decrease in

the rate of photosynthesis (negative slope): 100 WATTs, cold (-0.0000640(O2%/s) with an

average temperature of 7.80°C) > 60 WATTs, cold (-0.000131 (O2%/s) with an average

temperature of 7.40°C) > 60 WATTs, hot (-0.000370 (O2%/s) with an average temperature of

38.3°C) > 40 WATTs, cold (-0.000572 (O2%/s) with an average temperature of 15.5°C) > 100

WATTs, hot (-0.000632 (O2%/s) with an average temperature of 37.0°C).

Figure 1

O2 gas (%)
Time (s) 40 W heated 60 W heated 100 W heated 40 W ice 60 W ice 100 W ice
1 0 18.56108288 19.17435827 19.02335076 18.79632587 18.4686293 18.40134364
2 30 18.60320062 19.11529071 18.97250129 18.76293985 18.44346138 18.41007537
3 60 18.63658663 19.05673678 18.93089718 18.72904021 18.42651156 18.40134364
4 90 18.67870437 19.01461904 18.88877944 18.69565419 18.41829346 18.40134364
5 120 18.72904021 18.98945112 18.87182962 18.67048628 18.41007537 18.40134364
6 150 18.77115795 18.97250129 18.83844361 18.65353645 18.40134364 18.40134364
7 180 18.82149378 18.97250129 18.82971188 18.64531836 18.40134364 18.40134364
8 210 18.87182962 18.98123302 18.81327569 18.62836853 18.41007537 18.39312554
9 240 18.93089718 18.99766921 18.82149378 18.62836853 18.41829346 18.39312554
10 270 18.99766921 19.02335076 18.82149378 18.61963681 18.41829346 18.39312554
11 300 19.06495487 19.06495487 18.82149378 18.61963681 18.41829346 18.39312554
Figure 2
Temperature (°C)
100 W
Time (s) 40 W heated 60 W heated heated 40 W ice 60 W ice 100 W ice
1 0 37.92937139 31.3779606 33.01191626 15.3769476 8.631197019 7.292836413
2 30 38.26210984 32.18051174 34.29136729 14.87219126 5.66001977 7.376445049
3 60 39.24081624 33.40395429 34.68694424 14.97335211 7.180022723 7.490566213
4 90 40.54477444 34.78602499 35.5089675 15.1508938 7.714731652 7.517784941
5 120 41.1772191 36.30929176 35.5089675 15.32658825 7.685911285 7.741843455
6 150 42.59468925 37.72564692 36.61088144 15.4775906 8.076301329 7.85354454
7 180 44.14840625 39.60349854 37.57312785 15.6800991 7.965029774 7.965029774
8 210 44.48146248 41.07146599 38.33965643 15.8305808 7.993710974 8.020692127
9 240 45.71255757 43.49039886 39.49972249 15.95505886 8.020692127 8.076301329
10 270 47.40009846 44.84146819 40.38742661 16.08090665 5.979425116 8.160457019
11 300 48.72166059 46.85101733 41.5758652 16.18087344 7.037825098 8.244492234

Analysis and Discussion

The hypothesis believed that the ideal conditions for increasing the rate of photosynthesis

would be under the cold temperature with the highest light intensity/wattage, which is within the

iced and 100 watt condition. However, the outcome shows the total opposite, wherein the

spinach sample under the heated condition with the least light intensity of 40 watts presents the

highest photosynthetic rate. This outcome might have occurred since the 40-watt heated

condition was tested first, meaning that the rest of the samples might not be alive anymore once

the data was collected. Therefore, it is recommended that the spinach or plant should be fresh

and picked right before executing the experiment for each sample/condition if the experiment

were to be repeated.
 Works Cited

“Factors Affecting Photosynthesis - What Happens during Photosynthesis? - OCR 21C -

GCSE Combined Science Revision - OCR 21st Century - BBC Bitesize.” BBC News,

BBC, https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z9pjrwx/revision/5.

Lew Palka Master Gardener Butler County. “Growing Spinach, a Cool-Season Vegetable.”

Penn State Extension, 4 Jan. 2022,

https://extension.psu.edu/growing-spinach-a-cool-season-vegetable#:~:text=Optimum%20

growing%20temperature%20is%2050%E2%81%B0,it%20becomes%20bitter%20and%20i

nedible.

“Limiting Factors of Photosynthesis - Photosynthesis - National 5 Biology Revision - BBC

Bitesize.” BBC News, BBC,

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zcktw6f/revision/5#:~:text=A%20limiting%20factor

%20is%20simply,cell%20growth%20will%20be%20reduced.

“Photosynthesis in Detached Leaves.” Welcome,

https://www.saps.org.uk/saps-associates/browse-q-and-a/316-will-a-leaf-photosynthesise-if

-no-longer-attached-to-the-plant-and-if-so-how-long-for#:~:text=It%20is%20true%20to%2

0say,plant%2C%20but%20not%20for%20ever.&text=So%2C%20in%20theory%2C%20th

e%20leaf,during%20the%20first%20few%20hours.