Photosynthesis Reaction Lab

Observing the and determining the reaction rate of photosynthesis in Ivy disks
Background:
All plants are autotrophs meaning they create their own food from inorganic chemicals in their surrounding. In the case of food, plants use CO2 to create glucose. In addition to the inorganic chemicals, plants use sunlight to create their glucose because the photosynthesis reaction is endothermic. The rate of this reaction, in turn, can be measures. And this lab uses oxygen which is created as a result of the photosynthesis reaction. Since the oxygen is a low density gas, it is able to make the leafs float which indicate that the reaction has occurred and the amount of leafs the float up over the time needed will give the rate. This works because a vacuum created during lab rid the leafs of their oxygen which causes them to sink in a water and sodium bicarbonate solution.
Objectives:
To determine the rate of photosynthesis in Ivy leafs.
Also, to observe the process of
First, put 10 leaf disk in each of the syringes, slowly and carefully push the plunger to almost to the tip of the syringe, and fill the syringes an arbitrarily small amount from each cup. Make sure to use only one syringe for each cup and to use that syringe only for that cup. After each syringe is filled with its respective solution, the leaf disk should be floating. Get rid of all the air in the syringe after filling it by pushing the plunger until some of the solution falls out while the syringe is upright. Then put one finger on the tip of the syringe and pull back the plunger until you can no longer pull it while the syringe is upright. If it is hard to pull, the the vacuum is good. Hold this state for a couple seconds and then release the vacuum by moving your finger off the syringe and again get rid of all the air in the syringe. Repeat this process until all the leafs