Photosynthetic rates of elodea plants under varying intensity of

light
Josette Rader, Katelen Hunter, Alexis Harwood and Laura Abreu
Biology I Laboratory 1100 to 1345

Written 13 March 2023; revised 28 March 2023; submitted 3 April 2023

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Introduction

Photosynthesis is a process by which phototrophic organisms can produce their

own energy (Urry et al. 2021). Elodea (Egeria densa) employs processes to perform
photosynthesis in circumstances of strong light. During photosynthesis, light energy is
used to consume CO2 which produces organic molecules that can be metabolized for
energy as well as the molecular oxygen crucial to human life (Lara et al. 2002). As a
result, the rate at which photosynthesis occurs can be measured by the net changes in the
volume of CO2 present. This allows the testing of changes in environmental factors on the
efficiency of a plant’s photosynthetic rate. Understanding the limitations on
photosynthesis provides a better understanding of how human interference in the
environment could potentially affect the global climate both positively and negatively, as
well as help to realize the potential for living in previously inhabitable environments.
This study strove to find the difference in rate of photosynthesis of a plant under varying
intensity of light. If an elodea plant is moved further from a light source, it would absorb
less CO2, indicating a decrease in photosynthetic activity.
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Methods

Carbon dioxide was bubbled into two beakers with 150 mL distilled water each
for one minute by mouth with use of a straw. Saturated water from one beaker was then
distributed into two beakers of 50 mL each, one designated plant 30, the other designated
control 30. The second saturated batch was distributed into two beakers of 50 mL each
the first designated plant 60, the other designated control 60. Pieces of elodea that
weighed 2 g each were placed into the plant 30 and the plant 60. 30 cm was measured
from the single 45 w bulb light source and plant 30 was placed centrally on the 30 cm
mark. Similarly, plant 60 was placed at the 60 cm mark, staggered slightly to the left to
avoid any interference from light absorption by plant 30. Both control 30 and control 60
were placed side by side at the 1 m mark to avoid diluting any light aimed at the
experimental plants (Figure 1). The light source was aimed at the beakers, turned on and
left for 60 minutes. After one hour, the light source was shut off and the elodea removed
from the water. Three drops of phenolphthalein were added to each solution and placed
on a sheet of white paper. NaOH was added to both control 30 and control 60 one drop at
a time until a steady pink color was achieved, the amount of NaOH recorded. NaOH was
then added to plant 30 solution until the pink color of the solution matched that of control
30 and the number of drops recorded. This step was repeated with plant 60 until the pink
color of the solution matched that of control 60.
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30 cm
60 cm
1m

Figure 1 Staggered placement of plants and controls from light source

The data collected was analyzed by subtracting the number of drops of NaOH used in
each control from the number of drops used in each corresponding plant. That difference
was then used in a conversion equation to calculate the net volume of CO2 consumed by
each plant. The net volumes were then compared to determine the rate per hour at which
each plant consumed CO2.
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Results

Both plants required fewer drops of NaOH to neutralize the acidity of their
solutions in comparison to their respective controls. However, the plant 30 cm from the
light source had a net decrease in required NaOH that was greater than the net decrease of
NaOH required for the experimental solution furthest from the light source (Table 1).

Table 1 Drops of NaOH solution required to neutralize acidity in experimental and

control solutions
Plant 30 Plant 60
Drops of NaOH solution 15 15
Control drops of NaOH
39 22
solution
Net change in NaOH -24 drops -7 drops

Volume of CO2 mL was calculated from number of drops using the equation
V =d ( 0.04545 ) where V is the volume of CO2, d is the number of drops used, and the
constant 0.04545 is the mean conversion rate for drops to volume of CO2. The differences
in rate of change between plant 30 at 1.09 mL/hr and plant 60 at 0.32 mL/hr are shown
(Figure 2). The Plant at 30 cm consumed 0.77 mL more CO2 than the plant at 60 cm.
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1.2

1
Net Volume CO2 mL

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
Plant 30 Plant 60

Figure 2 Net change in volume CO2 mL per hour at 30 cm and 60 cm.

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Discussion

While both plants had a net decrease in volume of CO2, the plant closest to the
light source had a net decrease that was greater than the plant that was farther away. As
hypothesized, lowering the intensity of the light by moving a plant further away from the
source decreased the volume of CO2 consumed during photosynthesis. During the
experiment, plant 60 was removed from the light source prematurely by approximately
17 minutes. It was replaced several minutes later and the remainder of the experimental
time completed. This disruption could account for the discrepancy in net volume CO 2
seen in the data and the experiment should be replicated to verify the results calculated in
this study. However, it is unlikely that plant 60 would have reached the same volume of
CO2 consumed as plant 30 without the disruption. Further experiments should be done
both increasing and decreasing the distance from the plant to the light source, allowing a
model curve to be developed for the limitations of elodea to perform photosynthesis
given a full range of light conditions and the designation of an optimal light intensity for
oxygen production similar to the steady-state properties model developed for
phytoplankton (Eilers and Peeters 1988). Such experimental data could pave the way for
using plants and man-made lights as a system of efficiently producing food and
molecular oxygen in low or no light environments such as underground living, polar
living, and prolonged space travel.
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References

Clifton, K. 2022. BSC2010L Biology I Laboratory Manual 5th ed. Plymouth (MI): Macmillan
Learning Curriculum Solutions. 138 p.
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Eilers, P.H.C., Peeters, J.C.H. 1988. A model for the relationship between light intensity
and the rate of photosynthesis in phytoplankton. Ecological Modelling. [accessed
25 March 2023]; 42(3-4).

Lara, M.V., Casati, P. and Andreo, C.S. 2002. CO2-concentrating mechanisms in Egeria
densa, a submersed aquatic plant. Physiologia Plantarum. [accessed 25 March
2023]; 115(4): p. 487-495.

Urry LA, Cain ML, Wasserman SA, Minorsky PV, Orr RB. 2021. Campbell biology. 12th ed.
New York (NY): Pearson. 1287 p.