How Does Volume Increase The Surface Area
ITEM PAGE
Background Research 3-4
Experiment
Hypothesis 5
Variables 5
Equipment 5
Risk Assessment 5
Method 6
Results 6
Analysis/Discussion 7
Conclusion 8
Acknowledgments/Bibliography 8
Table of Contents Background Research
As an object becomes bigger its surface area and volume increases but the surface area to volume ratio decreases, this is because volume increases quicker than the surface area; as volume is three dimensional. This concept applies to cells and reaction rate because cells need to absorb their food, water and oxygen through their cell membrane and depending on the size of the cell membrane the rate at which it absorbs its requirements is changed. If the cell is large, the time which it takes to absorb its necessities will be longer because its surface area to volume ratio decreases. The larger the cell the more nutrients it requires. That is why the larger the organism, the more cells it requires and the smaller they need to be. The smaller cells absorb their requirements quicker and are therefore more efficient in nourishing the large organism.
The reaction rate is best described as the speed at which a function, process or action occurs. The larger the surface area that is exposed to the cells nutrients the quicker it is able to absorb those …show more content…
requirements. Therefore, a smaller cell with the larger surface area to volume ratio rapidly attains its nutritional requirements. This is readily illustrated by a plants root system which, due to its structure, has a high surface area and is able to rapidly absorb water and nutrients.
Plants obtain water through their root system or more specific the ‘root hairs’ which are outgrowths from the roots. There are many root hairs on each root. Each of the root hairs is a very stretched cell. This organisation of the structure of the plant greatly increases the surface area in contact with water so therefore the plant is able to absorb more water and more rapidly. The way the root hairs and roots are structured means the root ball has a large surface area to volume ratio which in turn increases the reaction rate, allowing the plant to absorb more nutrients in a rapid fashion. If the plant did not have the root hairs the surface area to volume ratio would be greatly reduced and hence the reaction time would also be increased and the plant would not be as efficient in absorbing the water and nutrients. The water and nutrients then diffuse through the root into the xylem tubes which carry them upwards to the leaves. This is achieved through the leaves transpiring, creating a suction effect. This movement allows the continual absorption of the water (through osmosis) into the root hairs. If the xylem tubes did not transport the water the roots would become saturated and would not be able to absorb any more.
The distribution and shape of tissues in a leaf give maximum surface area for the leaf. The shape of a leaf is generally broad, thin and flat, this is to give full opportunity for photosynthesis. A leaf is thin enough that it is slightly transparent, allowing the sunlight to reach every layer of cells in the leaf. The structure of the leaf is suited to fully achieve its main objective, producing food. The top layer (cuticle) of the leaf, which is most exposed to sunlight is a clear and waxy substance that is waterproof and doesn’t allow unnecessary water loss but allows light penetration. The epidermis layer beneath the cuticle layer is also transparent to allow light through to the cells underneath; some of those cells are the Palisade layer which are a tightly pack layer of cells that are tightly packed with chloroplasts and are the place where photosynthesis happens. These cells are in a neat row under the top side of the leave’s surface. The middle layer or the Spongy layer is loosely packed with cells that have lots of free space around them to allow gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen and liquids such as water to freely move around by diffusion. Along with the cells in the spongy layer there are the leave’s veins which are not only used for reinforcing the leave’s structure but are also used to transport water, minerals and food. The xylem tubes bring the water and minerals up from the roots and discharge them into the spongy layer, along with them there are the phloem tubes with collect the food made in the leaf cells and takes it away to nourish other plants of the plant that may not be able to photosynthesise. Finally the lower leaf surface has many openings called stomates which allow water to evaporate to ensure that water and minerals continue to be brought up from the roots. Teeth can increase the surface area of complex foods by breaking it down into smaller amounts, the volume stays the same, just the surface area just as does the surface area to volume ratio.
The chewing and grinding that the teeth do to break up the food into smaller pieces is how they create more exposed surface area, the enzyme in saliva also helps in breaking down the food. Then the more surface area that is exposed, the more quickly the digestive enzymes can attack it. The broken up food then travels down the oesophagus and into the stomach where it churns the food with acid and the enzymes digest the proteins, the more exposed surface area helps with the reaction rate of the acid on the
food
The digestive systems of different animals generally are alike but are structured differently depending on their diet, e.g. herbivories, carnivores, predominately nectar feeding animals. Herbivore animal’s (only eat vegetation) digestive system mostly consists of rather long intestines and caecum to allow a longer time for digestion and more surface area. The animal will also have flat, grinding teeth to chew their food thoroughly to expose to most surface area as possible for the enzymes. The problem that herbivores have is that flora material have a low nutrient value and have a lot of fibrous material that is hard to digest. the fibre that is mostly plant cell walls is made of cellulose, to help break this down, a form of mutualism happens in their gut where bacteria live and have enzymes to digest cellulose. Carnivores,(only eat meat) on the other hand don’t require as big as a digestive system because their diet has a much higher nutritional value that is relatively easy to digest. They generally have sharp teeth to tear into the meat and cut it into chunks to swallow, chewing, for carnivores isn’t a necessity. Compared to herbivores, carnivores have short intestines and a highly elastic stomach for large meals, so the acid in the stomach and enzymes are essential for digesting the high protein value in their meals. Unlike herbivores and carnivores, nectar feeders only require a very short and simple digestive system, due to the fact that sugar does not require any digestion at all. Birds need more nutrients compared to those like insects, so they get their nutrients from seeds and pollen which is rich in oil and protein and the digestive system absorbs the sugar.
Experiment:
Hypothesis: The Aspro Clear tablet cut into quarters will take the shortest time to dissolve as there is more surface area exposed.
Variables:
Independent- The exposed surface area of the Aspro clear tablets.
Dependant- The time it takes for the entire tablet to dissolve.
Controlled – The technique used to cut the tablet
- The temperature of the water
- The timers reaction speed Equipment:
• Measuring cup
• Water
• Nine Aspro clear tablets
• A cutting implement e.g. knife
• Stopwatch
• Chopping board
• Cup
Risk How to prevent
Injuring yourself when cutting the cardboard Take care when cutting the cardboard and watch where you put your fingers
Slipping over because of spilled water Immediately clean up any spills
Allergic reaction to the Aspro clear tablet. Take precaution before use and take care.
Risk Assessment:
Method:
1. Measure the dimensions of one Aspro Clear tablet to determine the surface area and volume
2. Pre-cut nine pieces of tablet, three left whole, three cut in half and three in quarters.
3. Fill a cup with 125ml of water
4. Drop one of the whole tablets into the water
5. Start timer
6. Stop timer once completely dissolved and record results
7. Rinse cup and change the water.
8. Repeat two more times with the other whole tablets and three more times with the other sizes
9. Tabulate results Results:
Aspro size First Piece(mins) Second piece(mins) Third piece(mins) Average(mins)
Whole piece 1:11 1:19 1:17 1.16
Halves 1.06 1:07 1:10 1.08
Quarters 1:03 1:05 1:02 1.03
Graphed results: Surface area to volume table
Whole Tablets Halved tablets Quarter tablets
Surface area(cm2) 9.68 11 12.32
Volume(cm3) 1.14 1.14 1.14
SA:V 9.68:1.14 11:1.14 12.32:1.24
Analysis/Discussion:
There were a number of trends evident in this experiment. Firstly the whole Aspro clear tablets took the longest to dissolve with an average of 1:16 minutes. Secondly the Aspro tablets that were cut in half were the next slowest to dissolves with an average of 1:08 minutes. Thirdly the Aspro tablets cut into quarter were the quickest to dissolve with 1:03. Finally, the reaction rate of each group of tablets were reflective of the surface area to volume ratios. In that as the surface area to volume ratios increased the reaction rate increased, and the time it took for the tablets to dissolve, decreased. The reaction rate was more rapid. This experiment is a valid way of determining if an increasing surface area to volume ratio in turn increases the reaction rate of a dissolving tablet. The reaction rate is more rapid the higher the surface area to volume ratio is.
This experiment could be affected by water temperatures and it was found that it was necessary to ensure the water temperature was relatively stable. To improve the results of this experiment it would be advisable for the water temperature to be measured with a thermometer.
This experiment demonstrates the effect surface area has on reaction rate, showing that once cut into smaller pieces the Aspro clear tablets has more exposed surface area and therefore would react quicker with the water. This is also evident in nature, where the structure of a plants root system is made to have more surface area exposed to absorb the maximum amount of water and minerals. The same could be said about the plants leaves, which are arranged to increase surface area for photosynthesis. The leaves are flat, broad and slightly transparent so that the sunlight can get through to all layers of the leaf. The animals that then eat the plants are another example of how surface area effects reaction rate, the chewing of food breaks it down into smaller pieces, with more exposed surface area. The food is then able to be easier digested by the enzymes in the stomach. The digestive systems of animals depend on their diet, whether their herbivores, carnivores and nectar eaters. Compared to a carnivore, a herbivore’s digestive system is a much larger system, to deal with the low protein, fibrous materials that are plant life. Carnivores have much smaller digestive systems because their diet consists of a much higher protein diet. Although compared to both of them, nectar eaters have a very small digestive system because of their diet that mainly consists of honey, seeds and nectar which don’t require much digesting.
Conclusion:
In conclusion the hypothesis of this experiment was supported, “The Aspro Clear tablet cut into quarters will take the shortest time to dissolve as there is more surface area exposed.” The hypothesis was supported because the Aspro tablets that were cut into quarters have more surface area exposed. The more exposed area means that the water has access to more surface area of the tablet and the reaction rate of the tablet dissolving is quicker.
Strategies to work effectively:
I believe I could have worked more effectively as an individual throughout my investigation. My work ethic was not up to standard and I was constantly being distracted, hence I was working on it until the day it was due. My work efficiently could have been improved and I required assistance on quite a few sections.
Acknowledgements/Bibliography:
• Google Images
• KCiC Bio 2 Patterns in Nature, Keep it simple science, www.keepitsimplescience.com.au ,2009
By Cassie Douglas
Background Research 3-4
Experiment
Hypothesis 5
Variables 5
Equipment 5
Risk Assessment 5
Method 6
Results 6
Analysis/Discussion 7
Conclusion 8
Acknowledgments/Bibliography 8
Table of Contents Background Research
As an object becomes bigger its surface area and volume increases but the surface area to volume ratio decreases, this is because volume increases quicker than the surface area; as volume is three dimensional. This concept applies to cells and reaction rate because cells need to absorb their food, water and oxygen through their cell membrane and depending on the size of the cell membrane the rate at which it absorbs its requirements is changed. If the cell is large, the time which it takes to absorb its necessities will be longer because its surface area to volume ratio decreases. The larger the cell the more nutrients it requires. That is why the larger the organism, the more cells it requires and the smaller they need to be. The smaller cells absorb their requirements quicker and are therefore more efficient in nourishing the large organism.
The reaction rate is best described as the speed at which a function, process or action occurs. The larger the surface area that is exposed to the cells nutrients the quicker it is able to absorb those …show more content…
requirements. Therefore, a smaller cell with the larger surface area to volume ratio rapidly attains its nutritional requirements. This is readily illustrated by a plants root system which, due to its structure, has a high surface area and is able to rapidly absorb water and nutrients.
Plants obtain water through their root system or more specific the ‘root hairs’ which are outgrowths from the roots. There are many root hairs on each root. Each of the root hairs is a very stretched cell. This organisation of the structure of the plant greatly increases the surface area in contact with water so therefore the plant is able to absorb more water and more rapidly. The way the root hairs and roots are structured means the root ball has a large surface area to volume ratio which in turn increases the reaction rate, allowing the plant to absorb more nutrients in a rapid fashion. If the plant did not have the root hairs the surface area to volume ratio would be greatly reduced and hence the reaction time would also be increased and the plant would not be as efficient in absorbing the water and nutrients. The water and nutrients then diffuse through the root into the xylem tubes which carry them upwards to the leaves. This is achieved through the leaves transpiring, creating a suction effect. This movement allows the continual absorption of the water (through osmosis) into the root hairs. If the xylem tubes did not transport the water the roots would become saturated and would not be able to absorb any more.
The distribution and shape of tissues in a leaf give maximum surface area for the leaf. The shape of a leaf is generally broad, thin and flat, this is to give full opportunity for photosynthesis. A leaf is thin enough that it is slightly transparent, allowing the sunlight to reach every layer of cells in the leaf. The structure of the leaf is suited to fully achieve its main objective, producing food. The top layer (cuticle) of the leaf, which is most exposed to sunlight is a clear and waxy substance that is waterproof and doesn’t allow unnecessary water loss but allows light penetration. The epidermis layer beneath the cuticle layer is also transparent to allow light through to the cells underneath; some of those cells are the Palisade layer which are a tightly pack layer of cells that are tightly packed with chloroplasts and are the place where photosynthesis happens. These cells are in a neat row under the top side of the leave’s surface. The middle layer or the Spongy layer is loosely packed with cells that have lots of free space around them to allow gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen and liquids such as water to freely move around by diffusion. Along with the cells in the spongy layer there are the leave’s veins which are not only used for reinforcing the leave’s structure but are also used to transport water, minerals and food. The xylem tubes bring the water and minerals up from the roots and discharge them into the spongy layer, along with them there are the phloem tubes with collect the food made in the leaf cells and takes it away to nourish other plants of the plant that may not be able to photosynthesise. Finally the lower leaf surface has many openings called stomates which allow water to evaporate to ensure that water and minerals continue to be brought up from the roots. Teeth can increase the surface area of complex foods by breaking it down into smaller amounts, the volume stays the same, just the surface area just as does the surface area to volume ratio.
The chewing and grinding that the teeth do to break up the food into smaller pieces is how they create more exposed surface area, the enzyme in saliva also helps in breaking down the food. Then the more surface area that is exposed, the more quickly the digestive enzymes can attack it. The broken up food then travels down the oesophagus and into the stomach where it churns the food with acid and the enzymes digest the proteins, the more exposed surface area helps with the reaction rate of the acid on the
food
The digestive systems of different animals generally are alike but are structured differently depending on their diet, e.g. herbivories, carnivores, predominately nectar feeding animals. Herbivore animal’s (only eat vegetation) digestive system mostly consists of rather long intestines and caecum to allow a longer time for digestion and more surface area. The animal will also have flat, grinding teeth to chew their food thoroughly to expose to most surface area as possible for the enzymes. The problem that herbivores have is that flora material have a low nutrient value and have a lot of fibrous material that is hard to digest. the fibre that is mostly plant cell walls is made of cellulose, to help break this down, a form of mutualism happens in their gut where bacteria live and have enzymes to digest cellulose. Carnivores,(only eat meat) on the other hand don’t require as big as a digestive system because their diet has a much higher nutritional value that is relatively easy to digest. They generally have sharp teeth to tear into the meat and cut it into chunks to swallow, chewing, for carnivores isn’t a necessity. Compared to herbivores, carnivores have short intestines and a highly elastic stomach for large meals, so the acid in the stomach and enzymes are essential for digesting the high protein value in their meals. Unlike herbivores and carnivores, nectar feeders only require a very short and simple digestive system, due to the fact that sugar does not require any digestion at all. Birds need more nutrients compared to those like insects, so they get their nutrients from seeds and pollen which is rich in oil and protein and the digestive system absorbs the sugar.
Experiment:
Hypothesis: The Aspro Clear tablet cut into quarters will take the shortest time to dissolve as there is more surface area exposed.
Variables:
Independent- The exposed surface area of the Aspro clear tablets.
Dependant- The time it takes for the entire tablet to dissolve.
Controlled – The technique used to cut the tablet
- The temperature of the water
- The timers reaction speed Equipment:
• Measuring cup
• Water
• Nine Aspro clear tablets
• A cutting implement e.g. knife
• Stopwatch
• Chopping board
• Cup
Risk How to prevent
Injuring yourself when cutting the cardboard Take care when cutting the cardboard and watch where you put your fingers
Slipping over because of spilled water Immediately clean up any spills
Allergic reaction to the Aspro clear tablet. Take precaution before use and take care.
Risk Assessment:
Method:
1. Measure the dimensions of one Aspro Clear tablet to determine the surface area and volume
2. Pre-cut nine pieces of tablet, three left whole, three cut in half and three in quarters.
3. Fill a cup with 125ml of water
4. Drop one of the whole tablets into the water
5. Start timer
6. Stop timer once completely dissolved and record results
7. Rinse cup and change the water.
8. Repeat two more times with the other whole tablets and three more times with the other sizes
9. Tabulate results Results:
Aspro size First Piece(mins) Second piece(mins) Third piece(mins) Average(mins)
Whole piece 1:11 1:19 1:17 1.16
Halves 1.06 1:07 1:10 1.08
Quarters 1:03 1:05 1:02 1.03
Graphed results: Surface area to volume table
Whole Tablets Halved tablets Quarter tablets
Surface area(cm2) 9.68 11 12.32
Volume(cm3) 1.14 1.14 1.14
SA:V 9.68:1.14 11:1.14 12.32:1.24
Analysis/Discussion:
There were a number of trends evident in this experiment. Firstly the whole Aspro clear tablets took the longest to dissolve with an average of 1:16 minutes. Secondly the Aspro tablets that were cut in half were the next slowest to dissolves with an average of 1:08 minutes. Thirdly the Aspro tablets cut into quarter were the quickest to dissolve with 1:03. Finally, the reaction rate of each group of tablets were reflective of the surface area to volume ratios. In that as the surface area to volume ratios increased the reaction rate increased, and the time it took for the tablets to dissolve, decreased. The reaction rate was more rapid. This experiment is a valid way of determining if an increasing surface area to volume ratio in turn increases the reaction rate of a dissolving tablet. The reaction rate is more rapid the higher the surface area to volume ratio is.
This experiment could be affected by water temperatures and it was found that it was necessary to ensure the water temperature was relatively stable. To improve the results of this experiment it would be advisable for the water temperature to be measured with a thermometer.
This experiment demonstrates the effect surface area has on reaction rate, showing that once cut into smaller pieces the Aspro clear tablets has more exposed surface area and therefore would react quicker with the water. This is also evident in nature, where the structure of a plants root system is made to have more surface area exposed to absorb the maximum amount of water and minerals. The same could be said about the plants leaves, which are arranged to increase surface area for photosynthesis. The leaves are flat, broad and slightly transparent so that the sunlight can get through to all layers of the leaf. The animals that then eat the plants are another example of how surface area effects reaction rate, the chewing of food breaks it down into smaller pieces, with more exposed surface area. The food is then able to be easier digested by the enzymes in the stomach. The digestive systems of animals depend on their diet, whether their herbivores, carnivores and nectar eaters. Compared to a carnivore, a herbivore’s digestive system is a much larger system, to deal with the low protein, fibrous materials that are plant life. Carnivores have much smaller digestive systems because their diet consists of a much higher protein diet. Although compared to both of them, nectar eaters have a very small digestive system because of their diet that mainly consists of honey, seeds and nectar which don’t require much digesting.
Conclusion:
In conclusion the hypothesis of this experiment was supported, “The Aspro Clear tablet cut into quarters will take the shortest time to dissolve as there is more surface area exposed.” The hypothesis was supported because the Aspro tablets that were cut into quarters have more surface area exposed. The more exposed area means that the water has access to more surface area of the tablet and the reaction rate of the tablet dissolving is quicker.
Strategies to work effectively:
I believe I could have worked more effectively as an individual throughout my investigation. My work ethic was not up to standard and I was constantly being distracted, hence I was working on it until the day it was due. My work efficiently could have been improved and I required assistance on quite a few sections.
Acknowledgements/Bibliography:
• Google Images
• KCiC Bio 2 Patterns in Nature, Keep it simple science, www.keepitsimplescience.com.au ,2009
By Cassie Douglas