| Explore | We know that plants give off oxygen which helps humans and humans give off carbon dioxide which helps plants. We know that plants use the sun to get energy through photosynthesis. Plants undergo photosynthesis using their chloroplasts. Through the lab studies we have learned that cell respiration and photosynthesis affect the pH of water. We also learned that the more carbon dioxide a plant gets the faster the plant cells fill up with air. |
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| Research Question | In the investigation we are trying to find whether raising or lowering the pH will affect how fast the leaf Disks float after they have been put at the bottom, just like the first lab we studied. This lab goes with the first of the labs. Instead of having 2 different CO2 cups we will have a low pH cup and a high pH cup to see if it will affect the photosynthesis in the leaf disks. |
| Predictions | The possible outcomes would be the amount of leaf disks that float. We think that the acid would make the leaf disks float the fastest because the solution with the baking soda is already slightly basic so the acid would balance the solution making it more natural. |
| Experimental Design | Our plan is to get three different solutions. An acidic solution, a basic solution, and a solution of baking soda and water. Then after we put the three different solutions into separate cups, we will put in 10 spinach leaf disks. After we put 10 leaf disks in about 2 inches of each solution, we will put them all under a light source at the same. We will then record the experiment for 25 minutes, and record the amount of disks that have floated every minute on the minute. The constants are the Spinach leafs, amount of solution which is about 2 inches, and the light source. What we are measuring is the amount of leaf disks that float. |
| Conclusion | The more acidic the pH, the quicker the leaf disks floated. The leaf disks started floating at thirteen minutes, in the acidic solution. The control group of just baking soda and water, started floating at twenty-six minutes. Lastly the more basic solution started floating at thirty-one minutes. A possible explanation would be the acidic solution pH was closer to neutral than the basic solutions pH. Expanding on the project we could change the amounts of light each group receives, you could also increase or decrease the pH of each solution. |
| Investigation Theme | POS |
| Grade Level | High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12) |
| School Name | Bristol High School |
| Session | Fall 2019 |