| Explore | We know that plants go through processes called photosynthesis and cellular respiration. In class, we have discovered how plants and trees get their mass, what happens in the processes plants go through, why they go through these processes, and more. |
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| Research Question | Does the lack of pigment affect the rate of photosynthesis? We developed the question by noticing the white bit of a plant, which we believed was a lack of pigment, and wondered if the lack of pigments in the bits leaves changed the rate how the plant photosynthesizes. |
| Predictions | The lack of pigment(s) in the plants could either change the rate of photosynthesis in the plant. If they change the rate, it could either slow the rate down or speed it up. We are comparing how fast the plants with lack of pigment go through photosynthesis when placed under a light. We believe that lack of pigment will not allow the plant to photosynthesize. |
| Experimental Design | To test what pigments are in the leaves, we decided to do a chromatography experiment. To do this, we collected a quarter, chromatography paper, our plants, and some chromatography solvent. We took the plant and placed it on the paper, and rolled the quarter on it so the pigment will transfer onto the paper. Then, we filled up the beaker with enough of the solvent to reach the line of pigment. We let it sit for a little bit to let the pigment leak out. For the leaf disk experiemnt, we prepared beakers with a little bit of baking soda and 3 drops of soap water. We used the syringes to fill the leaf disks with water until they sunk. After that, we put them in the cups and put them under the light for 20 minutes. |
| Conclusion | To conclude our experiment, we can make the claim that plant leaves without pigment experience photosynthesis at a lower rate than plant leaves with pigments. Plant leaves use chloroplasts to carry out the processes of photosynthesis, and chloroplasts also give plants their green color, so the reason that the plant leaves without pigment did not photosynthesize was because they did not have enough chloroplasts. In a future experiment, more leaf discs can be used to increase the sample size, and the discs can also be left under light for a longer period of time to maximize the data collected. Also, different plants with different pigments can be tested to see if certain pigments also affect the rate of photosynthesis. |
| Investigation Theme | POS |
| Grade Level | High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12) |
| Teacher Name | Michele Piatt |
| School Name | Charleroi Area Middle/High School |
| Session | Fall 2023 |
| About this Project | The students showed great interest in developing the experiment, were curious about the results, asked good questions about factors taht can influence on the experiments, and were always looking for ways to get better and improve their experiment. -- Gabriela Hernandes Villani, Mentor This team did a great job despite their scientist mentor not participating. The liaison, Gabriella, stepped in to respond to the students questions and investigations. They kept a positive attitude and were even more determined to be successful. During their experiment they wanted to test how the different pigments affected photosynthesis and based on their exploration with chromatography they redefined their question to the lack of pigment on leaves affecting the rate of photosynthesis. -- Michele Piatt, Teacher |
