How Is Photosynthesis Affected By Light Intensity
In conclusion, one can determine how photosynthesis is impacted by light intensity through the experimentation on ivy leaf disks in a bicarbonate solution. The function of the sodium bicarbonate in this experiment was to provide a sufficient amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) for the photosynthesis process to occur. Without CO2 or any of the other necessary reactants, glucose nor oxygen cannot be produced. The leaves rise and sink due to photosynthesis occurring in the plant cells. As the carbon from the sodium bicarbonate is consumed, the leaf disks sink. Then as photosynthesis continues, oxygen is produced causing the leaf disks to rise due to the change in buoyancy. In the experiment, the light intensity was decreased through varying distances
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away) is applied to the plant disks then there will be a higher rate of photosynthesis compared to plant disks exposed to light at farther distances (12in. away), because plants photosynthesize at higher rates when more light is available. Based off the results, I do agree with my hypothesis since the plant disks exposed to the greatest light intensity had the highest photosynthesis rate. In the environment, some limiting factors on the photosynthesis rate include the amount of available carbon (CO2), temperature and light intensity. Some possible sources of error in the experiment would include human error and using old ivy leafs. Since two different people were preparing the leaf disks in the plungers, different amounts of pressure were placed on the leaf disks as the vacuum was created. This discrepancy of pressure and amount of shaking would cause a varying amount of damage among the ivy leaf cells. The ivy leaves that were used were days old and not freshly picked off of a vine, so some of the plant cells could have “died” before experimentation; causing inaccurate results. In order to improve the experiment, we should have measured exactly when all of the plant disks rose to the top of the solution instead of only measuring for five minutes, this would have had more accurate results and calculations. If we were to conduct another experiment based off of this experiment, then I would want to test how different color
away) is applied to the plant disks then there will be a higher rate of photosynthesis compared to plant disks exposed to light at farther distances (12in. away), because plants photosynthesize at higher rates when more light is available. Based off the results, I do agree with my hypothesis since the plant disks exposed to the greatest light intensity had the highest photosynthesis rate. In the environment, some limiting factors on the photosynthesis rate include the amount of available carbon (CO2), temperature and light intensity. Some possible sources of error in the experiment would include human error and using old ivy leafs. Since two different people were preparing the leaf disks in the plungers, different amounts of pressure were placed on the leaf disks as the vacuum was created. This discrepancy of pressure and amount of shaking would cause a varying amount of damage among the ivy leaf cells. The ivy leaves that were used were days old and not freshly picked off of a vine, so some of the plant cells could have “died” before experimentation; causing inaccurate results. In order to improve the experiment, we should have measured exactly when all of the plant disks rose to the top of the solution instead of only measuring for five minutes, this would have had more accurate results and calculations. If we were to conduct another experiment based off of this experiment, then I would want to test how different color