IGCSE Transpiration2 Practice Questions For

Examiner’s
Use
1 A student did an experiment to compare the rates of transpiration of leafy shoots from two
different plants, elder and pyrocantha. She selected shoots from both plants of the same
mass and stem diameter. She used the potometer shown in Fig. 1.1.

rubber tubing,
20
making an air-tight 19

seal between the cut 18

17
end of the shoot and 16
the water in the 15
14
capillary tubing 13
12
scale marked
capillary tubing 11 in cm
10
containing water 9
8
7
6
meniscus 5
4
3

Fig. 1.1

She took readings of the height of the meniscus every 10 seconds for 90 seconds.
Her results are below.

results for elder reading of meniscus at start = 1.6 cm

reading / cm 2.4 2.9 3.5 4.0 4.6 5.2 5.6 6.2 6.6

results for pyrocantha reading of meniscus at start = 0.8 cm

reading / cm 2.5 4.2 5.3 8.2 10.2 12.2 14.1 16.0 18.0

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 3 For
Examiner’s
Use
(a) Construct a table showing times and readings in the space below.

[3]

(b) Work out the average water loss for each plant in centimetres of water per second.
Show your working.
elder

average water loss = ............................ cm / s

pyrocantha

average water loss = ............................ cm / s

[4]

(c) Suggest one difference between the shoots that could account for the different rates of
water loss. Explain your answer.

difference ........................................................................................................................

explanation ......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................................[2]

(d) Name one environmental factor that could account for the different rates of water loss
of the two shoots.

......................................................................................................................................[1]

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2
5 Some plants show differences between leaves found in sunny areas of the plant (sun For
leaves), and leaves found in shaded areas (shade leaves). Examiner's
Use

(a) A student was supplied with two leaves, labelled sun leaf and shade leaf. Drawings of
the two leaves are shown in Fig. 5.1.

(i) Measure the maximum length of each leaf, excluding the petiole (stalk). Write your
measurements below each diagram.
(ii)

Fig. 5.1

sun leaf shade leaf

length = mm length = mm [2]

(ii) The leaves clearly have different areas.

One leaf has a larger surface than the other.

Suggest an advantage to the leaf with the larger area.

[1]

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(b) The diagrams in Fig. 5.2 show cross-sections of a sun leaf and a shade leaf as viewed For
using a microscope. Examiner's
Use

waxy cuticle

palisade
cells

sun leaf shade leaf

Fig. 5.2

Construct a table to compare these two diagrams. Include the following features;
thickness of leaf, number of palisade cells, size of air spaces.

[4]

(c) Choose any one feature of the sun leaf in Fig. 5.2 and explain how this feature is a
good adaptation for photosynthesis.

feature

explanation

[2]

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(d) The sun leaf usually has a thicker cuticle than the shade leaf. The cuticle is a waxy For
layer covering the leaf. Examiner's
Use

Suggest an advantage that this thicker cuticle gives to the sun leaf.

[1]

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34 A student used the apparatus shown in Fig. 4.1 to study the transpiration rate in a leafy For
shoot. Examiner's
Use

As water vapour is transpired from the leaves, water is drawn through the apparatus. The
rate of movement of the small bubble along the tube is used as an indication of the rate of
transpiration.

The student wanted to find which surface of the leaves lost the greater amount of water
vapour.

The student did two experiments, the first with the leaves untreated and a second with
grease applied to the upper surface of the leaves.

leafy shoot

grease reservoir

water
scale (cm)
5 4 3 2 1 0 air bubble

bubble moves
in this direction

Fig. 4.1

(a) The student prepared the shoot by cutting the stem under water.
• He placed the shoot in the rubber tubing at the top of the apparatus as shown in
Fig. 4.1.
• He added water from the reservoir to move the bubble to the zero mark.
• He then started timing.
• He read the position of the bubble every minute for three minutes and recorded the
readings in Table 4.1.

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Table 4.1 For

Examiner's
Use
condition time / reading on distance moved by average distance moved
of leaves minutes scale / cm bubble per minute / cm by bubble per minute / cm

untreated 1

(i) Take the readings from the scales illustrated in Fig. 4.2 and record them in
Table 4.1. Read the value from the left side of the bubble. [1]

(ii) Calculate the distance moved by the bubble during each minute and enter the
values in column 4 of Table 4.1.

[1]

(iii) Using the three values found in (a)(ii) calculate the average distance moved by the
bubble per minute and enter this value in column 5 of Table 4.1.

[1]

scale (cm)
first reading 5 4 3 2 1 0

scale (cm)

second reading 5 4 3 2 1 0

scale (cm)

third reading 5 4 3 2 1 0

Fig. 4.2

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(b) The student then applied grease to all of the upper surfaces of the leaves to prevent For
loss of water vapour. Examiner's
Use
• He added water from the reservoir to return the bubble to zero.
• He repeated the procedure as in part (a) and calculated a new average distance
moved by the bubble per minute.
This new value was 1.2 cm.

(i) Use the average value from (a)(iii) and the average value given in (b) to calculate
the percentage of water vapour loss that took place from the lower surface of the
leaf.

percentage loss from lower surface [2]

(ii) The student concluded that the rest of the water vapour was lost from the upper
surface of the leaf.

Describe what the student could do to confirm this.

[1]

(c) Study column 4 of Table 4.1. The three values for the distance the bubble moved per
minute are not identical to each other.

Suggest two environmental conditions that could cause the differences.

first condition

second condition

[2]

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(d) (i) Explain why the student cut the stem of the leafy shoot under water before putting For
it into the apparatus. Examiner's
Use

[1]

(ii) Suggest a possible reason why the amount of water taken up by the plant shoot
may not be exactly the same as the amount lost by transpiration.

[1]

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