4A Carbon Dioxide and Living Things

How is carbon dioxide important to living things?

A chemical reaction is a process that Materials • Tweezers
rearranges the atoms of one or more • Safety goggles and apron • Blank white paper
substances into one or more new substances. • 4- 40 mL clear plastic • Lamp
Living cells use many chemical reactions. Plant containers with screw caps • Plant seeds
cells use a chemical reaction called • Masking tape • Jars (2) with covers
photosynthesis to store energy from the sun in • Marker • Strainer
the form of molecules. All cells use a chemical • 2-5cm sprigs of an • Container used for
reaction called cellular respiration to release filtering
aquatic plant
energy from molecules. Carbon dioxide is a • Bromothymol blue
compound that is involved in both reactions. In solution
this investigation, you will use a chemical to • Straw
determine if carbon dioxide is increasing or • Beakers
decreasing under different conditions. • Funnel
• Aluminum foil
Safety tip: Wear safety goggles
and an apron during this
investigation.

A Thinking about cellular respiration

In cellular respiration, carbohydrates react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide
and water. Every cell in your body uses this reaction to release energy stored in
carbohydrates. When you breathe, you take in oxygen, a reactant in celluar
respiration. You exhale carbon dioxide, a product of cellular respiration. All types
of cells including animal and plant cells undergo cellular respiration.

1. Obtain 100 mL of bromothymol blue solution in a large beaker

from your teacher. Bromothymol blue is a chemical that shows if carbon
dioxide is present.
2. Using a straw, gently blow bubbles into the solution until it
completely changes color. Do not swallow the bromothymol blue!
Your teacher may have you practice the technique using a beaker of plain
water first.
a. What was the initial color of the bromothymol blue solution?
 b. What was the color of the solution after you blew bubbles into the
beaker?

c. What color does bromothymol blue change to when carbon dioxide is

present?

d. What do you think would happen to the color of the solution if the
carbon dioxide were used up?

B Thinking about photosynthesis

Plant cells use a chemical reaction called photosynthesis to store energy from the
sun in the form of carbohydrate molecules. In the reaction, carbon dioxide is
combined with water to make carbohydrates and oxygen. The word “light” above
the arrow means that light is required to make the reaction happen:

a. Would the presence of plants in water cause the carbon dioxide to increase,
decrease, or stay the same? Explain your answer.

b. When would you expect photosynthesis to happen, in the day or at night?

Explain your answer.

C Investigating photosynthesis—Experiment A
1. Obtain four clear plastic containers with screw caps. Label each
container with a marker and masking tape as follows:
#1 Plant - light
#2
Plant
-
dark,
#3 No
plant
- light
#4 No
plant
-
dark.
 2. Use the beaker of bromothymol blue solution you obtained in Part 1
for this experiment. Gently blow bubbles into the solution again to make
sure the color has completely changed to yellow. The initial color of the
solution should be yellow for this experiment.
3. Record the initial color of the solution for all four containers in Table
1.
4. Pour 25 ml of the solution into each of
the four test containers using a funnel. Cap
tubes #3 and #4.
5. Place a 5 cm piece of aquatic plant in
containers #1 and #2. Make sure each plant
is completely submerged in the solution.
Cap these containers.
6. Wrap tubes #2 and #4 with aluminum
foil to block out any light.
7. Place the four capped tubes upright in
front of a lamp. Make sure that the tubes
are at least eight inches away and that light
is hitting all tubes equally on the side. Your
setup should look similar to the one shown
below.
8. Let the plants sit for 50 minutes. Set up the experiment in Part 5
while you wait.
Investigation 4A Carbon Dioxide and Living
Things

D Stop and think

a. Why did you need to make sure the bromothymol blue solution had
completely changed color before starting the experiment?
b. In the experiment, what is the experimental variable? What are the
control variables?

c. Predict what you think will happen to the color of the bromothymol blue
solution in each of the four containers. State your prediction in the form of a
hypothesis.
E Investigating cellular respiration—Experiment B
1. Obtain two plastic containers with screw caps and label each
with a marker and tape: #1 With Seeds and #2 No Seeds.
2. Cover the bottom of jar #1 with plant seeds.
3. To each jar, add equal amounts of bromothymol blue solution. Be
sure to use enough solution to cover the seeds. The initial color of the
solution should be blue for this experiment.
4. Record the initial color of the solution for both jars in Table 2.
5. Cover both jars and place them in similar conditions for at least
45 minutes.
6. While you are waiting, write a hypothesis about what you think
will happen to the color of the solution in each container.

F Recording your data

1. After 45 minutes, carefully unwrap each container from the
photosynthesis experiment.
2. Using tweezers, carefully remove the plants from containers #1
and #2.
3. Record the final color of the solutions in Table 1.
Table 1: Data from photosynthesis experiment (Experiment A)
Container Initial color Final color
#1 plant-light
#2 plant-no light
#3 no plant-light
#4 no plant-no light
4. Carefully pour the solution from container #1 into another clear
container. Try not to let any seeds come out of the original container.
5. Compare the colors and record your data in Table 2.
6. Follow all clean up instructions from your teacher.
Table 2: Data from cellular respiration experiment (Experiment B)
Container Initial color Final color
#1 With seeds
#2 No seeds
G Analyzing the results
a. From Experiment A, in which container(s) did photosynthesis occur? Use your
data and knowledge of photosynthesis to explain your answer.

b. Did the results from Experiment A support your hypothesis from Part 3?

c. From Experiment B, in which container did cellular respiration occur? Use

your data and knowledge of cellular respiration to explain your answer.

d. Did the results from Experiment B support your hypothesis from Part 5?

e. Why was light a variable in Experiment A but not a variable in Experiment

B?

f. Explain the importance of bromothymol blue in both experiments. H

Investigating at home: A yeast experiment
Try this simple experiment at home:
1. Gather these materials: two clean, empty soda bottles, warm water,
one package of yeast, sugar, two balloons, funnel, marker, measuring spoon,
and measuring cup.
2. Label the two soda bottles - #1 With Yeast and #2 Without Yeast.
3. Mix together the package of yeast with one tablespoon of sugar (a
carbohydrate) in a cup of warm water. Pour this solution into bottle #1 -
With Yeast.
4. Add one more cup of warm water to bottle #1 and then put a balloon
over the top of the bottle.
5. Mix one tablespoon of sugar in a cup of warm water. Pour this solution
into bottle #2 - Without Yeast.
6. Add one more cup of warm water to bottle #2 and then put a balloon
over the top of the bottle.
7. Leave both bottles in a warm, dark place for three to four days.
8. Observe the balloons daily.
a. What happens to the balloons? What causes one to partially inflate? Explain
your findings.

b. How is this experiment evidence that cellular respiration is occurring?

c. Why is yeast often used to make bread rise? Explain your answer using your knowledge of cellular
respiration.

d. When yeast use up all of the oxygen, they can perform another chemical reaction to release energy
from carbohydrates called fermentation. Research fermentation using the library or Internet. Try to
answer these questions: What are the reactants and products? How is fermentation similar and
different from cellular respiration? How is fermentation used in industry?
e.