| Explore | We learned that plants need light, carbon dioxide, and water to undergo photosynthesis. |
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| Research Question | How does water temperature affect rates of photosynthesis? |
| Predictions | We believed that warm water (80℃) would yield better results because the molecules would be moving faster and the CO2 produced during photosynthesis would have a larger volume. |
| Experimental Design | Measured out 100ml of water and heated/cooled it to desired temperature Mixed in 1 gram of baking soda into the water Placed the leaf chads into the water filled syringe and extracted the oxygen Placed leaf chads into the water, placed the cup underneath the light and recorded how many chads rose each minute in the span of 10 minutes (three trials, per temperature) Repeat with each additional temperature Temperatures tested: 15°C, 26°C, 50°C, 80°C |
| Conclusion | We found that room temperature water had the best results. Both the coldest and hottest temperatures had little to no leaf chads rise, and the warm temperature water had fewer leaf chads rise than our control room temperature water. |
| Investigation Theme | POS |
| Grade Level | High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12) |
| School Name | West High School |
| Session | Spring 2019 |