| Research Question | Does the pH level of water affect the rate of photosynthesis? |
|---|---|
| Predictions | If the pH level of the water increases further than the optimum level, then the spinach cells would die, causing the rate of photosynthesis to decline, meaning the pH of the water does affect photosynthesis. |
| Experimental Design | 1. Fill the cup with 100 mL of water. 2. Add 1g of baking soda to the water and stir until dissolved. 3. Check the pH of the water. 4. Cut out 10 chads and place them into a syringe. 5. Use the Leaf Disk Flotation Method to sink the chads. 6. Empty syringe into the cup. 7. Place the cup under the light. 8. Leave for 10 minutes, recording how many chads float to the top every minute in the spreadsheet. |
| Conclusion | The solution of 100 ml of water, 1 g of baking soda, and 50 ml of Sodium Hydroxide, resulted in the fastest rate of the photosynthesis, an average of 5 minutes. In a 10 minute span, Sodium Hydroxide had all 10 chads rise at an average of 5 minutes. Ammonia and dish soap did not have all 10 chads rise in ten minutes, they had averages of roughly 5 and 7 chads rise in the 10 minutes. Our hypothesis was not correct because sodium hydroxide had a high ph level and had the fastest average. We believe we got the results we did because of how the sodium hydroxide reacted with the base solution. |
| Investigation Theme | POS |
| Grade Level | High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12) |
| School Name | West High School |
| Session | Spring 2019 |