Name: Inez Lam

Class: 5D (10)
TLGC Biology Lab Report on SBA Preparation experiment: Photosynthesis
Date: 2-12-2024

Investigation of the effects of environmental factors on the rate of photosynthesis

Date of experiment: 19-11-2024

A) Aim
To investigate the rate of photosynthesis of Hydrilla under red, blue and green light conditions.

B) Introduction
Photosynthesis is the process that occurs in the chloroplasts of plant cells, where light energy is converted into
chemical energy and stored in glucose. The word equation can be represented by follow:

6CO₂ + 6 H₂O → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6 O₂

During photosynthesis, carbon dioxide and water absorbed by the plant is turned into glucose as a storage form
of energy and oxygen as a byproduct. This is a key reaction to any living beings and the planet earth as it has a
significant ability to reduce carbon dioxide.

The essential elements of photosynthesis include the presence of carbon dioxide and water, along with a
functionable chlorophyll, a green pigment in plants, and light, usually sunlight, as energy source of reaction.
This experiment is to study how photosynthesis rate is affected under different colors of light.

In the following experiment, red, blue and green light will be used respectively in order to stimulate the diverse
colour of the visible light on the colour spectrum. With a difference in wavelength and energy level, they not
only change how the human eye perceives the colour of light, but may also change the rate of photosynthesis in
plants.

Hydrilla is chosen due to it being a submerged aquatic plant. Photosynthesis rate will be measured by the
decrease in volume of water in the pipette.

C) Hypothesis
My hypothesis is that the photosynthesis rate will be affected due to the difference in wavelength of light.

It is known that the wavelengths of different colours is shown as follows:

Red: 620-750 nm
Green: 500-550 nm
Blue: 450-495 nm

D) Predictions
Since red light has the longest wavelength, it is predicted that it has the highest rate of photosynthesis. On the
other hand, blue light is predicted to have the lowest rate of photosynthesis due to it having the shortest
wavelength.

The rate of photosynthesis is predicted to be ranked as follows: Red>Green>Blue

E) Materials and Apparatus

Hydrilla
distilled water
0.25% Sodium hydrogencarbonate solution
1 ml pipette
pipette filler
rubber tubing with clip
stand with burette clamp
600 ml breaker
thermometer
table lamp
boiling tube
forceps
scissor
stop watch
half meter ruler
cellophane: blue, red, green

F) Identification of Variables
Independent variable: The colour of cellophane
Dependent variable: The the decrease in volume of water in the pipette
Controlled variable: the initial temperature of the water, the length of Hydrilla, the distance between the table
lamp and the setup, etc.

G) Procedure
Procedure:
1. Cut the stem of a well-illuminated piece of Hydrilla to about 10 cm long.
2. Place it with a cut surface upwards, in a boiling tube filled with 0.25% sodium hydrogen carbonate solution.
3. Wrap the tube with red cellophane.
4. Set up the apparatus as shown in Fig.1.

Figure 1
5. Stand the tube in a beaker of water at room temperature. Record the temperature of the water, which acts as a
heat shield, and check it at intervals throughout the experiment. It should remain constant and the
water should be renewed if necessary.
6. Put a 100-watt table lamp at 20 cm from Hydrilla. Turn on the lamp.
7. Wait for about 5 minutes for Hydrilla to equilibrate.
8. Suck the sodium hydrogencarbonate solution from the tube into the pipette. Close the clip and record the
initial reading. Make sure that the clip is tightened to prevent the solution in the pipette from falling.
9. After a fixed period of time (e.g. 5 minutes), record the final reading in the pipette and calculate the volume of
gas collected.
10. Repeat steps (2) to (9) using transparent, blue and green cellophane.

H) Results
Colour initial (ml) final (ml) Time (min) Rate (ml/min)

Red 0.735 0.650 5.00 0.017

 Green 0.525 0.470 5.00 0.011

Blue 0.630 0.550 5.00 0.016

Transparent 0.495 0.480 5.00 0.003

*Credit of results:
Transparent: 5D(9) Kwok Ka Po Venice
Green and Blue: 5D(17) No Hoi Yan Elsa

I) Discussion
According to the results, the rate of photosynthesis can be ranked as: Red> Blue> Green

Regarding the red light having the highest photosynthesis rate, it is proved that the hypothesis is partially
correct. It has the highest photosynthetic rate due to its longer light wavelength. Using photon energy theory,
this means that it has a lower energy that can be easily absorbed by the chlorophyll.

As for the photosynthetic rate under blue and green light, the hypothesis is proven to be partially incorrect, that
photosynthesis rate is not entirely based on the wavelength of light. Since chlorophyll is green coloured, I have
come to a reasonable explanation that the wavelength and energy level of green light is relatively more difficult
for chlorophyll molec to capture, resulting in a reflection of light, hence it is green in colour. This means that less
light energy is captured for the reaction and therefore the rate of photosynthesis is the lowest.

In comparison, blue light has a shorter wavelength with higher energy levels, which is also easier for
chlorophyll to absorb, hence having a higher rate of photosynthesis.

The significance of this experiment is yet inescapable. Light sources with different colours can be adopted in
industrial, agricultural and scientific industries. For example, using red light may therefore enhance the growth
and development rate of a plant due to the increase in photosynthesis rate, and using green light may hinders
the growth of the plant in contrast.

There are also errors present in the experiment. For example, the distilled water and sodium hydrogen
carbonate solution is not changed between different colours of light. The content may vary between
experiments. Also, wrapping the tube with cellophane may not be the most suitable setup as white light from
the bulb may still reach the Hydrilla through the top water surface. It is suggested to wrap the cellophane
around the lightbulb instead to prevent such errors. In addition, the experiment is conducted collectively in a
big laboratory with groups of people operating with different light sources. This indicates that the lamp is not
the only source of light for our setup, hence the accuracy may vary. It is advised to run the experiment
thoroughly for 2-3 more times before calculating all the statistics in order to achieve a higher accuracy. Lastly,
the controlled setup has an unexpectedly low photosynthesis rate. The source of error is yet to be discovered
since it is not primary data. Further investigations are advised in future setups.

J) Conclusion
The investigation has come to a conclusion that the difference in colour of light does affect photosynthesis in
plants. Red and blue light was found to have a higher photosynthetic rate, while green light has a relatively
lower one. The hypothesis is rejected.

The investigation still stands with a significance as technologically, red and blue light should therefore be more
considered as the colour of light source for an indoor planting institution for more efficient growth and
development within plants.