Photosynthesis Lab

Lucy Stanley
AP Biology
Giannou
12/14/2014
Testing the Rate of Photosynthesis in Leaf Disks
Introduction
Purpose
The purpose of this lab is first to test the rate of photosynthesis in spinach leaves in
different solutions, the to test the rate of photosynthesis in various species of leaves.
Background
The process of photosynthesis consumes carbon dioxide in order to produce sugar. As
sugar is produced, oxygen is produced as well. The rate of photosynthesis can be measured by
the accumulation of oxygen in the leaf. In this lab, the rate at which leaf disks float to the surface
of a cup of bicarbonate solution will indirectly determine the rate of photosynthesis in the leaf
tissue. Leaves will usually float in water due to the spongy mesophyll cells within the leaf being
infused with CO2 and O2. In order to make them sink, these gases must be drawn out by a
vacuum and replaced with water. The leaf disks can then be placed in a bicarbonate solution.
Because they have an alternate form of CO2 , they can still perform photosynthesis. Cellular
respiration also continues in the cells of the leaf disks, so some of the O2 in the leaves will be
consumed through aerobic respiration. Even so, the leaves will float to the surface once they
have accumulated enough oxygen, providing a method of measuring the net rate of
photosynthesis in the leaves. (AP Biology 62)
Hypothesis
For the first part of the lab, the leaf disks in the water will not float up because there is no
source of carbon dioxide, and the leaf disks in the bicarbonate solution will float. In the second
part of the lab, the tropical plant will have the fastest rate of photosynthesis because of the
climate it normally grows in, followed by turnip green, red chard, kale, mustard green and finally
the astro lily.
Variables
In the first part of the lab, the independent variable was the solution the leaf disks were
placed in. The dependent variable was the rate of photosynthesis, and the constants included the
type of leaf, the number of disks, the light source, the amount of solution in each cup, and the
size of the leaf disks. The control was the cup with the plain water. In the second part of the lab,
the independent variable was the species of leaf. The dependent variable was the rate of
photosynthesis, and the constants included the number of leaf disks in each cup, the number of
cups under a light source, the type of light source, the size of the leaf disks, and the solution that
was inside the cups.
Methods
Materials
First Test
Second Test
Baking soda
Liquid soap
Plastic syringes without needle
(2)
Procedures
Living spinach leaves

Hole punch
Clear plastic cups (2)
Timer
Light source
Pipette
Baking soda
Liquid soap
Plastic syringe without needle
Living tropical, mustard green,
turnip green, red chard, kale, and astro
lily leaves
Hole punch
Clear plastic cups (3)
Timer
Light source
Pipette
Test 1
1. Create 300 mL of 0.2% bicarbonate solution. Pour bicarbonate solution into a
clear cup up to a depth of 3cm. Label this cup With CO2. Fill another cup with water to a
depth of 3cm. Label this cup Without CO2.
2. Use a pipette to add one drop of diluted liquid soap in each cup, so that the
hydrophobic surface of the leaf is wetted and can sink in the fluid.
3. Use the hole punch to cut 10 uniform leaf disks per cup.
4. Remove plunger from both syringes. add the 10 leaf disks to each syringe barrel.
Replace the plunger. Add a small volume of bicarbonate solution to one syringe, and a
small volume of water to the other. Tap the syringes to be sure that all the leaf disks are
floating, then make sure that there is no air left in the syringe.
5. Create a vacuum by holing placing a finger over the opening of the syringe and
drawing the plunger back. Hold the vacuum for about 10 seconds. Swirl the leaf disks,
then let the plunger spring back. Repeat two or three times if necessary until all leaf disks
have sunk in the solution.
6. Remove the plunger and pour leaf disks and solution into the appropriate cups.
Place both cups under the light source and begin timing. Record how many leaves have
floated to the surface of each cup every minute.
Test 2
7. Create 300 mL of 0.2% bicarbonate solution. Pour bicarbonate solution into three
clear cups up to a depth of 3cm.
8. Use a pipette to add one drop of diluted liquid soap in each cup, so that the
hydrophobic surface of the leaf is wetted and can sink in the fluid.
9. Each group picks a different leaf to test. Use the hole punch to cut 10 uniform
leaf disks per cup.
10. Remove plunger from syringe. Add the 10 leaf disks to syringe barrel. Replace the
plunger. Add a small volume of bicarbonate solution to syringe. Tap the syringe to be sure
that all the leaf disks are floating, then make sure that there is no air left in the syringe.
11. Create a vacuum by holing placing a finger over the opening of the syringe and
drawing the plunger back. Hold the vacuum for about 10 seconds. Swirl the leaf disks,
then let the plunger spring back. Repeat two or three times if necessary, until all leaf disks
have sunk in the solution.
12. Remove the plunger and pour leaf disks and solution into the appropriate cup.
Repeat process twice more for the remaining cups. Place all three cups under the light
source and begin timing. Turn cups and record how many leaves have floated to the
surface of each cup every minute.
Data & Calculations

1. Amount of Time for Leaf Disks to Float When Treated with CO2 (Group Data)
Time (minutes)
Leaf disks floating in

bicarbonate solution
Leaf disks floating in water
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
10
2. Amount of Time for Leaf Disks to Float When Treated with CO2 (Class Data)
Time
(minutes)
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
Group 6
Average
0.33
0.33
0.33
0.33
0.33
0.67
1.5
2.67
3.5
10
4.5
11
10
5.3
12
10
10
7.7
13
10
10
7.7
14
10
10
7.8
15
10
10
7.8
16
10
10
8.5
17
10
10
8.7
18
10
10
8.8
19
10
10
9.2
20
10
10
9.5
21
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
3. Amount of Time it Takes Red Chard to Float to the Surface of a Bicarbonate

Solution
Time (minutes)
Cup 1
Cup 2
Cup 3
Average
.67
.67
2.33
10
3.67
11
4.35
12
5.33
13
5.33
14
5.67
15
16
7.33
17
7.67
18
7.67
19
8.33
20
8.33
21
10
22
10
9.33
23
10
10
9.67
24
10
10
9.67
25
10
10
10
10
4. Amount of Time it Takes Various Plants to Float to the Surface of a Bicarbonate

Solution
Time
(minutes)
Tropical
Plant
Turnip
Green
Red Chard
Kale
Mustard
Green
Astro Lily
.67
.33
1.33
1.3
2.67
2.3
3.33
.67
.67
4.33
1.67
2.3
3.67
.67
.67
5.33
2.67
2.3
.67
6.33
2.67
2.6
5.67
2.33
6.67
3.33
10
3.3
3.67
1.3
4.67
11
4.67
8.33
4.33
6.33
12
8.33
5.33
3.67
8.33
13
5.3
8.67
5.33
5.67
14
5.3
9.33
5.67
6.33
9.33
8.33
15
5.3
9.67
6.33
9.33
8.67
16
5.3
10
7.33
6.33
9.67
9.33
17
5.3
10
7.67
6.33
9.67
10
18
5.67
10
7.67
6.33
10
10
19
10
8.33
6.67
10
10
20
10
8.33
6.67
10
10
21
10
7.33
10
10
23
10
9.33
7.67
10
10
24
10
9.33
8.33
10
10
25
10
9.33
9.33
10
10
26
9.33
10
10
9.33
10
10
27
9.33
10
10
9.33
10
10
28
10
10
10
9.33
10
10
29
10
10
10
9.33
10
10
30
10
10
10
9.33
10
10
31
10
10
10
10
10
10
Calculations
Average:
i=1
xi /n or Sum of data points divided by number of data points, Ex. 6+7+9= 22
22/3= 7.33
Conclusion & Evaluation
Conclusion
In the first part of the lab, the spinach leaves in the water did not float at all, while the
spinach leaf disks in the bicarbonate solution began floating after several minutes. This is
consistent with the hypothesis, and shows that the leaf disks needed a source of carbon dioxide in
the water to photosynthesize. In the second part of the lab, the turnip greens had the highest rate
of photosynthesis, followed by astro lily, mustard greens, red chard, tropical plant, and finally
kale.This did not match the hypothesis at all. The thickness of the leaf disks may have prevented
some from becoming buoyant quickly because they were too heavy. The different types of leaves
may also fare better under different wavelengths of light.
Evaluating Procedures
In both procedures, the leaf disks may not have gotten the same amount of light because
the cups shared a light source. The leaf disks may also have been different thicknesses due to
being punched out of different locations on the leaf. There also could have been disks with veins.
These could both cause leaf disk to be heavier than others, causing them to float up more slowly.
The leaf disks may have been subjected to the vacuum for too long, making them take longer to
rise to the surface of the solution. Some disks became stuck to the sides of the cup, and therefore
would not float, causing outliers.
Improving the Investigation
The thicknesses of the leaf disks could be improved by making sure to punch all of the
disks out of the same area of the leaf, avoiding veins. Each group should be sure to create the
vacuum only two or three times. The procedures in the lab packet say to swirl the disks at the
end of each minute to dislodge stuck disks. The groups conducting the lab should read more
carefully and follow the procedures as they are written in the packet. Each cup should be
provided with its own light source. The lab should be conducted again with different
wavelengths of light and different colored leaves, such as poinsettias, to see how the type of light
affects the rate of photosynthesis.
Works Cited
AP Biology Investigative Labs: An Inquiry-Based Approach. New York: College Board, 2012:
61-69. Print.

Photosynthesis Lab

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Photosynthesis Lab

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Lucy Stanley

Living spinach leaves

Data & Calculations

Leaf disks floating in

Leaf disks floating in water

3. Amount of Time it Takes Red Chard to Float to the Surface of a Bicarbonate

4. Amount of Time it Takes Various Plants to Float to the Surface of a Bicarbonate

xi /n or Sum of data points divided by number of data points, Ex. 6+7+9= 22

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