Photosynthesis Virtual Labs

Photosynthesis Virtual Labs.

Lab 1: Glencoe Photosynthesis Lab

http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/science/virtual_labs/LS12/LS12.html

Analysis Questions

1. Make a hypothesis about which color in the visible spectrum causes the most plant growth and which color in the visible spectrum causes the least plant growth?

If the color in the visible spectrum is red or blue, then the plant will grow the most.

If the color in the visible spectrum is  green or yellow, then the plant will grow the least.

2. How did you test your hypothesis? Which variables did you control in your experiment and which variable did you change in order to compare your growth results?

I tested my hypothesis by planting the same seed in different lights for 30 days. The variable I controlled in my experiment is the type of plant and the variable I changed in order to compare my growth results are the different color of lights that I changed.

Results:

Filter Color	Spinach Avg. Height (cm)	Raddish Avg. Height (cm)	Lettuce Avg. Height (cm)
Red		13
Orange		8
Green		2
Blue		14
Violet		11

3. Analyze the results of your experiment. Did your data support your hypothesis? Explain. If you conducted tests with more than one type of seed, explain any differences or similarities you found among types of seeds.

Yes, my data did support my hypothesis because I predicted that the red and blue light would stimulate the most growth in plants and in the end the plants that grew the most was under the red and blue light. The average for the red light is 13 cm and the average for the blue light is 14 cm.

4. What conclusions can you draw about which color in the visible spectrum causes the most plant growth?

I can come to the conclusion that the color blue in the visible spectrum causes the most plant growth.

5. Given that white light contains all colors of the spectrum, what growth results would you expect under white light?

The growth result I would expect under the white light is a normal rate, one that’s not the highest or lowest.

Site 2: Photolab

http://www.kscience.co.uk/animations/photolab.swf

This simulation allows you to manipulate many variables. You already observed how light colors will affect the growth of a plant, in this simulation you can directly measure the rate of photosynthesis by counting the number of bubbles of oxygen that are released.

There are 3 other potential variables you could test with this simulation: amount of carbon dioxide, light intensity, and temperature.

Choose one variable and design and experiment that would test how this factor affects the rate of photosynthesis. Remember, that when designing an experiment, you need to keep all variables constant except the one you are testing. Collect data and write a lab report of your findings that includes:

• Question
• Hypothesis
• Experimental parameters (in other words, what is the dependent variable, independent variable, and control?)
• Data table
• Conclusion (Just 1st and 3rd paragraphs since there's no way to make errors in a virtual lab)

*Type this document on a word processor or in Google Docs and submit via Canvas.

Question: Under the intensity of 25 of the blue light, which degree of temperature causes the plant to release the most bubbles?

Hypothesis: If the degree of temperature is 40 under the intensity of 25 of the blue light, then the plant will release the most bubbles.

Experimental parameter: The dependent variable is the number of bubbles that were released, the independent variable is the degree of temperature, and the control is the plant.

Data table:

	Blue light: Intensity of 25	Blue light: Intensity of 25	Blue light: Intensity of 25	Blue light: Intensity of 25
Temperature (degrees)	# of bubbles in 15 seconds	# of bubbles in 30 seconds	# of bubbles in  45 seconds	# of bubbles in 60 seconds
10	3	5	8	11
25	4	11	17	25
40	7	13	19	26

Conclusion:

In this lab, I asked the question “Under the intensity of 25 of the blue light, which degree of temperature causes the plant to release the most bubbles?” I found that if the degree of temperature is 40 under the intensity of 25 of the blue light, then the plant will release the most bubbles. When the water in the container was 10 degrees, the plant gave off 11 bubbles in a minute. When it was 25 degrees, the plant gave off 25 bubbles in a minute. And when it was 40 degrees, the plant gave off 26 bubbles in a minute. My evidence supports my hypothesis because the plant gave off the most bubbles, which are 26 bubbles, when the degree was the highest, which is 40 degrees.

This lab was done to demonstrate how different variables can affect plant growth. It also gives more information about photosynthesis. From this lab, I learned that the warmer the water that the plant is in, the better the plant grows. This helps me understand the concept of photosynthesis more. Based on my experience from this lab, whenever I want to grow a healthy plant I will know to make sure that I grow it in warm water.