| Explore | We know that plants require sunlight to grow. This function is known as photosynthesis. This process requires carbon and sunlight, and it creates oxygen as a byproduct. We discovered that without light, the plants cannot grow and they cannot make oxygen. We have tested before how light affects the rate of photosynthesis, but we didn't test how different light levels affect the rate of photosynthesis. The main question about plants that interest us is how different light levels affect the rate of photosynthesis. |
|---|---|
| Research Question | We want to study how different light levels affect the rate of photosynthesis.. We came up with the question whilst brainstorming what ways different light levels affects photosynthesis. It fits what we know about the topic because we know how light affects photosynthesis, but we do not know how light levels affect photosynthesis |
| Predictions | If we test different light levels, then the light with the highest watts will float up faster. This is because it will have more light, and this will cause it to begin floating faster. When carbon is added, there is a carbon, water, and light source. When these 3 sources are available, photosynthesis can occur, when it occurs, oxygen is created and the oxygen allows the discs to float. |
| Experimental Design | First we will make 45 spinach holes with a hole puncher. Then we will take 15 of them and put them in 3 syringes and we will then fill them with water. Then you will make a vacuum seal by covering the hole with your thumb, then you will pull back on the syringe and shake it until all spinach leaves are no longer floating. Then you will prepare 3 cups, and fill them with water and put 1/4 of a teaspoon of baking soda in it and stir it. Then you will put soap in it. Then you will tkae the 3 cups and put one under nothing, one under a 10 watt bulb, and one under a 20 watt bulb, and you will leave them there for 30 minutes, and check them every 10 minutes. You will write down the differences every 10 minutes on a table for each cup. |
| Conclusion | In conclusion, we tested how light affects the rate of photosynthesis. After we did our experiment, we now know that the more light the plant can get, the faster its rate of photosynthesis is. The plant with the 20 watt light had all its discs come up in 17 minutes, the 10 watt had them come up in 20, and in the entire 30 minutes, only 1 floated up in the cup with normal lighting. This happened because there was more light in the 20 watt, so it did photosynthesis faster. It supports our claim because we thought the one with the most light would perform photosynthesis faster. We could test it with higher watt lightbulbs to expand our experiment. |
| Investigation Theme | POS |
| Grade Level | High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12) |
| Teacher Name | Ashleigh Freeman |
| School Name | Montcalm High School |
| Session | Fall 2023 |
| About this Project | I am very proud of the work these students put in to their project. They came up with a very interesting experiment which showed creativity and ingenuity. They accepted constructive criticism in strides and were almost always able to reach sound conclusions without too much help. The work that they have done really impressed me. -- Antigone Burke, Mentor |
