Premium Essay

How Does Light Intensity Affect The Rate Of Photosynthesis

Submitted By
Words 298
Pages 2
Light is part of a continuum of radiation or energy waves, shorter wavelengths of energy contain more amounts of energy. Wavelengths of life in the visible light spectrum power the process of photosynthesis. Visible light is the only wave that has enough energy to cause chemical change without destroying biological molecules. Short, high frequency waves such as gamma rays have way too much energy and break hydrogen bonds found within biological molecules. Longer waves of heat like microwaves or radiowaves do not possess enough energy and are absorbed by water molecules in the plant. Whenever light is absorbed from leaf pigments, electrons within each photosystem are raised into a increased energy level, which is used to produce ATP and to reduce NADP and NADPH, which is then used to make carbon dioxide into organic molecules, this process is called carbon fixation. …show more content…
As light intensity increases, the rate of the light-dependent reaction, and therefore photosynthesis generally, increases proportionately. Photosynthesis is the process when plants, some bacteria, and protists, use energy from the sun to produce glucose, which by cellular respiration, is converted into ATP. When the air spaces where the disks are located are meet by a solution, which contains a small amount of sodium bicarbonate, the density of the disk increases, making it sink. But as it is exposed to light and photosynthesis carries on, oxygen is released as a byproduct into the interior of the leaf, causing it to float back up. The rate that the disks rise up to the surface is an indirect measurement of the net rate of photosynthesis since cellular respiration is taking place at the same time as the leaf is going through photosynthesis, using the oxygen that photosynthesis

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Photosynthesis

...Name __________________________________________________ Date ___________________ Class ____________ Photosynthesis Virtual Labs Tutorial: http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/science_up_close/512/deploy/interface.html Watch and listen to the tutorial found in the link above. Fill in the following answers as you watch. Stop and replay anything you don’t understand – this is a complicated topic! food 1. Plants use photosynthesis to make __________________ for the plant. 2. What do plants need in order to perform photosynthesis? Plants need light ( usually from the sun) in order to perform photosynthesis. 3. How is the plant able to obtain each “ingredient?” The plant obtains each ingredient from the air through open pores or holes in the leaves. 4. Identify the plant cell organelle in which photosynthesis takes place. Chloroplasts 5. Summarize the process of photosynthesis. Water and carbon enter the chloroplast….. When sun shines on the leaf, the chlorophyll in the chloroplast absorb some of the energy in the light. A chemical reaction occurs that changes the water and carbon dioxide into sugar and oxygen. The energy from the light is ultimately stored in the sugar. 6. What happens to the oxygen that is produced as a result of photosynthesis? The oxygen is released into the air. 7. Why is photosynthesis also important for people and animals? We get oxygen from the air when we breathe. And also if we eat fruits and vegetables, we get energy...

Words: 775 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Elodea Research Paper

...The effects of light intensity on oxygen release of Elodea. Light is a necessity in the functions of life. Without light, phototrophs like Protista, Fungi and Monera will simply not respire. Photosynthesis will not occur and therefore plant-life will perish resulting in Earth’s atmosphere having an insufficient amount of oxygen. This deficiency of light will affect how all organisms conduct respiration. Additionally, the conversion of light intensity to glucose, water and oxygen is regarded as a type of plant homeostasis. By being bombarded with a high frequency of photons, the plant will need a way to sufficiently balance out the input of light intensity by outputting a larger amount of products. Homeostasis is a biological process which adjusts an organism’s inner chemical structure back to equilibrium with minor external changes. So this investigation will aim to determine how the increase/decrease of light photons can affect the rate at which oxygen is released at. Therefore, this examination is a vital research topic as scientists can corroborate this research towards the understanding of homeostasis in plants. Photosynthesis is a chemical process where all plants convert carbon dioxide gas,...

Words: 1214 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Leaf Lab

...Professor Landry University of Phoenix Due Date: August 30, 2011 EXPLORATION What is the relationship between the increase in light intensity and the photosynthetic rate in leaves from a corn plant? How does this relationship compare with what you observed for tomato plants? As light intensity increases, the photosynthetic rate of a plant increases as well. However biochemical reaction, in fact, DO have temperature limits because if the temperatures reach a certain degree and overheat, the enzymes will get damaged and/or lost and inevitably die. Therefore, temperatures must be a tolerable limits in order to increase a photosynthetic rate. Photosynthesis at low temperatures actually take CO2 more efficiently. The rate of photosynthesis is decreased by higher oxygen concentrations. Lower temperatures inhibit Rubisco and forces this enzyme to to work competitively. Rubisco works competitively because is actually binds itself to oxygen rather than binding to carbon dioxide because of the mere attraction. Therefore, in doing so, this activates photorespiration rather than photosynthesis. Photosynthesis in corn is different from photosynthesis in a tomato. Corn is part of CO4. CO4 plants are actually able to capture CO2 into precursor acids. In doing so, CO2 is kept at a constant rate. Increases and decreases in temperature do not affect the rate of CO2. Corn is able to continue efficient energy production which surprisingly allows it to grow no matter what the obstacle may be...

Words: 938 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Photosynthesis Lab

...Photosynthesis Lab * Intro: Photosynthesis is a process in which plants use sunlight to create glucose and oxygen byproduct from carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis involves a green pigment called chlorophyll. The formula for photosynthesis is 6CO2 + 6H2O ------> C6H12O6 + 6O2. Variables that can affect the process of photosynthesis include light intensity, temperature, and carbon dioxide levels. * Question: Do photosynthesis rates increase when more carbon dioxide is present? * Hypothesis: If more carbon dioxide is present, then the rate of photosynthesis will increase. * Variables: The dependent variable of this experiment is the rate of photosynthesis. The independent variable of this experiment is the level of CO2. The multiple control variables of this experiment include light intensity and temperature. * Materials: The materials required for this experiment are 50+ sample sized plants per group (to compare photosynthesis rates between plants with high levels of CO2 and normal levels of CO2), an O2 sensor (to measure how much oxygen byproduct the plant is producing), and a CO2 sensor (to measure CO2 levels). * Procedure: Put 50 plants in the control group and 50 in the independent group. Then add higher levels of CO2 to the independent group. Then add a CO2 sensor and an O2 sensor to measure the input and output of the photosynthesis process. Then add a lamp for light intensity and water as an input for the process. Graphs/...

Words: 305 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Photosynthesis Lab Report

...Introduction: Photosynthesis is one of the most fundamental processes that take place in plants and some other organisms. Photosynthesis converts solar energy into chemical energy of a carbohydrate (Mader & Windelspecht, 2013).The whole process takes place in the chloroplasts of green plant cells containing the pigment chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is one of the most important molecules in existence as all energy capture starts from there (Mader, 2010). If none of this pigment is in existence, plants would be able to absorb all spectrums of light including green light and thus would then appear black instead of green (Mader & Windelspecht, 2013). Light energy, Carbon dioxide and water is needed for the production of simple sugars and oxygen. Chemical...

Words: 1544 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Coursework on Photosynthess

...Photosynthesis Abstract When doing the investigation into photosynthesis, we found out that its rate is effected depending on the filter covering the plant that is photosynthesising. The reason this happened is due to the fact that coloured filters only allow a certain wavelength of light through so this will decrease the rate of photosynthesis due to a lower light intensity on the plant. Introduction Cabomba is an aquatic plant which is known for its ability to oxygenate water at a high rate due to how well it can photosynthesise. However, in places of the world where the cabomba is found, the plant is seen as a pestilential plant. It is a plant that photosynthesises well and the more light exposure the plant receives, the high the rate of photosynthesis. The reaction that is going to be affected in this experiment that I did is the light dependant reaction. This is due to me changing the filter that was covering the cabomba plant from no filter, to red, and then to a blue filter. The way that these different filters will affect the rate at which the plant photosynthesises is that different colours only allow certain wavelengths to pass through while the others are absorbed. This means the different levels of light intensity are going to be absorbed into the chloroplasts and therefore either reduce or increase the rate of photosynthesis. Methodology Equipment: -Cabomba plant -Sodium hydrogen carbonate -Funnel -Blue and red filter -Ruler -Stop watch -Syringe ...

Words: 725 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Cell Process

...Cell Processes: Photosynthesis Part 1: Pigments in Plant Leaves Purpose: The purpose of this experiment is to visualize the pigments present in plant leaves by using paper chromatography. Materials Used: Chromatography vial with cap, wax pencil, disposable transfer pipet, chromatography solvent, chromatography paper strip, sharp pencil, ruler, pair of scissors, piece of fresh pre-soaked spinach, coin, pair of forceps. Observations and Data: Distance of Pigments From Original Pencil Line | | Pigment | Color | Migration Distance (mm) | Rf Value | | Carotene | Orange | 59 mm | .94 | | Xanthophyll | Yellow | 56 mm | .89 | | Chlorophyll a | Light Green | 29 mm | .46 | | Chlorophyll b | Dark Green | 14 mm | .22 | Solvent | | 63 mm | | Analysis and Results: 1. Which pigment migrated the farthest on the chromatogram? Explain how this migration occurred. According to the data Carotene travel furthest, this is because it was the most soluble and it didn't form bonds with the paper. 2. What does the Rf value represent? If you were to perform your experiment on a chromatography paper twice the length of the one used, would your Rf values still be the same? Rf value represent the distance traveled by the pigments divided by distance traveled by solvent. The Rf value would stay the same because if the pigments travel further so will the solvent. 3. How do plant pigments and the absorption spectrum relate to photosynthesis? In a plant there are...

Words: 1160 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Lab for Envbiroemnt

...Student Sheet Name: AMALISE CUBERO Instructor’s Name: Assignment: SCIE207 Phase 1 Lab Report Title: Understanding the Scientific Method: Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration Instructions: Based on the virtual experiment, you will answer some questions and write a 1-page lab report using the scientific method. When your lab report is complete, submit this document to your instructor in your assignment box. Using what you learned on the lab animation, answer the following questions: • Define a hypothesis that is suggested by the data that are collected in the lab. It was predicted that the intensity of light exposure that was given to the Pacific Ocean’s Seaweed, will increase the rate of photosynthesis however none the less but at a specific moment of exposure it will not yield to a quicker process. The goal is to figure out what moment in time this would be and if this is a repeatable conducive. • What effect does the intensity of light have on the rate of photosynthesis (measured as the number of oxygen bubbles)? • The Hypotheses given in the lab shows the increase in light concentration, an accelerated photosynthesis process went on with the 0-watts to 100-watts. The average number of bubbles in the 0 watt study was 2 bubbles in 1 hour. After the increase of a 25 watts had went up to 5 bubbles in the 1hour. With the increase of another 25 watts equaling to 50 watts now the number of bubbles increased once again to 11 bubbles...

Words: 1193 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Fdsddvdvd

...A2 level Biology notes Unit 4- Populations and the Environment 1. Populations 3 1.1 Populations and ecosystems 3 1.2 Investing populations 3 1.3 Variation in population size 5 1.4 Competition 6 1.5 Predation 8 1.6 Human populations 10 2. ATP 12 2.1 Energy and ATP 12 3. Photosynthesis 14 3.1 Overview of Photosynthesis 14 3.2 The Light- dependent reaction 16 3.3 The Light Independent Reaction 17 3.4 Factors Affecting Photosynthesis 18 4. Respiration 20 4.1 Glycolysis 20 4.2 Link reaction and Krebs cycle 21 4.3 The electron transport chain 23 4.4 Anaerobic respiration 24 5. Energy and Ecosystems 25 5.1 Food chains and Food webs 25 5.2 Energy Transfer between Trophic Levels 26 5.3 Ecological Pyramids 27 5.4 Agricultural Ecosystems 28 5.5 Chemical and Biological Control of Agricultural Pests 29 5.6 Intensive Rearing of Domestic Livestock 31 6. Nutrient Cycles 33 6.1 The carbon cycle 33 6.2 The greenhouse effect and global warming 34 6.3 The Nitrogen Cycle 35 6.4 Use of Natural and Artificial Fertilisers 36 6.5 Environmental consequences of using nitrogen fertilisers 36 7. Ecological Succession 37 Succession 37 7.2 Conservation of Habitats 38 8. Inheritance and Selection 39 8.1 Studying inheritance 39 8.2 Monohybrid Inheritance 40 8.3 Sex Inheritance and Sex Linkage 41 8.4 Co-dominance and Multiple...

Words: 8727 - Pages: 35

Premium Essay

Photosynthesis Lab

...The purpose of this lab was to observe the rate of photosynthesis in different temperatures.The trial that had all disks rise and seemed to have photosynthesis occur sooner than other fully completed trial was trial 1. This trial had higher increments of leaf disks floating sooner than trial 2 did as shown in table 1 with the raw data. Though trial 3 seemed to have the fasted rate of photosynthesis reaching 9 disks floating before any other trial and having more disks float sooner than any other. The only error with this trial, and trial 4, is that not all of the leaf disks ended up floating, leaving one that did not float by the end of the trial. Trial 3 also had the lowest time it took for half of the disks to float of all the other trials as shown in Chart 1. Trials 1-3 show times around the same relative time in chart 1 for the time it took for half of the disks to rise while trial 4 took around an extra 3 minutes for half of its disks to rise. This result could make sense considering that when the temperature becomes...

Words: 572 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Unit 6 BIOL 1121-01 For Health Studies

...What is the difference between a'smart' and a'smart'? Comparison of Prophase I of Meiosis and Prophase in Mitosis, and Anaphase-I of Meiosis and Anaphase of Mitosis. Prophase I of meiosis and prophase in mitosis differ in several ways. In Prophase I of meiosis, homologous chromosomes pair up and crossing-over occurs, leading to genetic recombination. This does not occur in the prophase of mitosis, where chromosomes condense but do not pair up or cross over (Major Differences,...

Words: 942 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Jtjfjtjfkj

...#5 Cell Processes: Photosynthesis –STUDENT GUIDE Kit # 36W7405 Table of Contents Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Part 1: plant pigments and chromatography (Structured inquiry). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Part 2: floating disc assay (Guided Inquiry) . . . . . . . . . 6 Part 3: design an experiment (OPEN inQUIRY) . . . . . . . . . 9 MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 **AP® and the Advanced Placement Program are registered trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board. The activity and materials in this kit were developed and prepared by Ward’s Natural Science Establishment, which bears sole responsibility for their contents. Copymaster. Permission granted to make unlimited copies for use in any one school building. For educational use only. Not for commercial use or resale. US: www.wardsci.com Canada: www.wardsci.ca ©2012, Ward’s Natural Science All Rights Reserved 250-7455 v.7/12 AP® Investigation #5: Cell Processes: Photosynthesis –STUDENT GUIDE Kit # 36W7405 Background OBJEcTIVES ‹ Design a plan for collecting data to show that all biological systems are affected by complex biotic and abiotic interactions. ‹ Use models to predict and justify that changes in the subcomponents of a biological polymer affect the functionality of...

Words: 3360 - Pages: 14

Premium Essay

Biology A2 Aqa Note

...A2 level Biology notes By bssjonny Contents A2 level Biology notes 1 Contents 2 Section 1.1 – Populations and ecosystems 2 Section 1.2 – Investigating Populations 3 Section 1.3 – Variation in population size 4 Section 1.4 / 1.5 – Competition / Predation 5 Section 1.6 – Human Populations 6 Section 2.1 – Energy and ATP 8 Section 3.1 + 3.2 – Photosynthesis and the light dependent reaction 10 Section 3.3 – The light – independent reaction 11 Section 3.4 – Factors affecting photosynthesis 12 Section 4.1 – Glycolysis 13 Section 4.2 – Link reaction + Kreb cycle 14 Section 4.3 – Electron transport chain 15 Section 4.4 – Anaerobic respiration 16 Section 5.1 – Food chains and food webs 17 Section 5.2 – Energy transfer between trophic levels 18 Section 5.3 – Ecological pyramids 19 Section 5.4 – Agricultural ecosystems 20 Section 5.5 – Chemical and biological control of agricultural pests 21 Section 5.6 – Intensive rearing of domestic livestock 22 Section 6.1 – The carbon cycle 23 Section 6.2 - The greenhouse effect and global warming 24 Section 6.3 – The nitrogen cycle 25 Section 6.4 – Use of natural and artificial fertilisers 26 Section 6.5 – Environmental consequences of using fertilisers 27 Section 7.1 – Populations and Ecosystems 28 Section 7.2 – Conservation of habitats 29 Section 8.1 – Studying inheritance...

Words: 8554 - Pages: 35

Premium Essay

Amylase Temperature

...It can also be found in molds, bacteria and yeasts. Some amylase can also be found in the tissues and organs of the human body. Amylase is an enzyme that acts as a catalyst to hydrolyze carbohydrates. The role of amylase in plants is for breaking down starches Amylase assists in the initial development of the plant, before it is able to use energy from photosynthesis. The amylase enzymes begin their role in plant development as the plants seed begins to germinate. What effect could temperature have on amylase activity? I will test my question by analyzing enzyme activity at different temperatures and compare them. Temperature will affect the enzyme amylase rate. An increase in temperature will increase the enzyme amylase...

Words: 1254 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Biology

...AP Biology Exam Review: Lab Essays At least one essay (FRQ) on the exam will be based on an AP laboratory. To prepare for this question, review the objectives for all twelve laboratory exercises. The College Board does not necessarily expect that you have completed that lab, but rather that you have investigated the objectives of the lab. You may be asked to “design an experiment to determine….” You don’t necessarily need to create a new lab; if you have done an activity that would answer the question, simply describe it. For a good response, you should include the following. 1. State a hypothesis [as an “if…..(conditions), then….(results)” statement] Be sure your hypothesis is testable. 2. Identify the variable factor. 3. Identify the control. Be certain to explain the control for the experiment. 4. Hold all other variables constant. 5. Manipulate the variable. 6. State how you would measure the results. 7. Discuss the expected results. Relate the results to your hypothesis. 8. Include steps to replicate or verify. You may be asked to graph data. Be sure to use a graph that is appropriate for you data. Bar graphs are used when data points are discrete (not related to one another), while line graphs are used with the data are continuous. If there is a data point at zero, be certain to extend your line to 0, but do not extend the line to 0 if there is no data point at zero. Other points to keep in mind: ...

Words: 2702 - Pages: 11