| Explore | They need sunlight, CO2, and soil to grow. They also produce glucose. |
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| Research Question | Will the age of spinach affect photosynthesis? |
| Predictions | The non-wilted leaves will all float, while the wilted leaves will not. |
| Experimental Design | 1) Gather all the necessary materials. 2) Have one member fill two cups with about an inch of water. They then will need to blow into the two cups through a straw for about 60-90 seconds. 3) While the member is executing the task, the other members need to cut 10-12 circular discs for the two types of leaves using a straw. Place discs on separate index cards. 4) After the first member is finished with their task, put 2-3 drops of diluted soap solution into each up, and stir until dissolved. 5) Get two syringes, and place into the chamber while keeping the two types of leaves separate. 6) Using the separate cups, fill each syringe about one-third of the way full. Push as much air out of the syringe as possible. 7) Once the air is removed, hold a finger over the tip and pull the plunger another third of the syringe. Hold the "vacuum" for ten seconds. 8) Without removing your finger, let go of the barrel. Discs may sink. 9) Repeat steps 7-8 until all discs have sunken. 10) Return the mixture of spinach and water into its original cup. Heed caution while doing so! 11) Set up the lamp and turn it on, making enough room for the cups below. 12) Place the cups an equal distance from the light and begin to collect data (twenty minutes). Every minute, check for the spinach discs that are floating and the ones that are not. Record the data in a table. 13) Repeat steps 2-12 once or twice more for accuracy. 14) When finished, clean everything up and put materials away. |
| Conclusion | The age of spinach does affect the process of photosynthesis. Dead leaves cannot perform photosynthesis, which prompted us to think that dying plants may be able to, but very slowly/weak. Our data table shows how the wilted spinach leaves do not act in photosynthesis as much as fresh leaves do. |
| Investigation Theme | POS |
| Grade Level | High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12) |
| School Name | Concord Junior High School |
| Session | Fall 2019 |