SBA #:

Date: February , 2020

Topic: Transpiration

Aim: To investigate how air movement affects the rate of transpiration.

Materials/Apparatus: Two plants with roots and leaves intact

Two conical flasks

Analytical balance

Cotton wool

Stopwatch

Water

Fan

Oil

Set up of apparatus:
Method/Procedure:

1. 100ml of water was poured in the two conical flasks.

2. Two Spanish needle plants of the same size were rooted up and 1 was placed in

each conical flask.

3. Oil was then poured into each conical flask and the conical flasks were plugged

up with cotton wool.

4. The mass of both flasks with the Spanish needle plants was measured using an

analytical balance and was recorded.

5. One flask was placed in front of the fan and the other was placed in an area that

was not windy for 30 minutes.

 6. After the 30 minutes ended, the mass of each flask was measured and recorded.

7. The results were recorded in a table and then the transpiration rate (water loss)

was calculated in g/min.

Observations:

It was observed that after 30 minutes, the plant in front of the fan was limp and

was leaning in the direction that the breeze from the fan was going. The leaves were

wilting and they looked shrivelled and wrinkled. However, the plant away from the

fan was still upright after 30 minutes. The leaves were firm and the plant as if it was

still growing outdoors.

Table showing the initial and final mass of both plants and the mass of water lost from

both plants.

Plant in front of the fan Plant away from the fan

Initial mass/g 200.4 205.4

Final mass/g 194 203.8

Mass of water lost/g 6.4 1.6

Calculations

Transpiration rate of each plant = water lost (g)

Time (min)
Transpiration rate for plant in front of the fan = 6.4 g
30 min
= 0.21g/min

Transpiration rate for plant away from the fan = 1.6 g

30 min
= 0.053 g/min

Discussion

Transpiration is the process by which water that is present in the leaves due to

diffusion down a concentration gradient, is evaporated through the stomata and is loss

to the environment as water vapour. In other words, it is the loss of water vapour from

a leaf by diffusion and evaporation. Plants transpire in order to transport water and

mineral ions from roots to all other parts of the plant. Transpiration is also a method

that plants use to cool themselves down. Whenever a plant transpires, the leaves lose

water so the water potential in the leaves is low and is higher in the stems, roots and

soil.

Hence, a water potential gradient is created and the water has to move down it

in other words, it has to move from an area of higher water potential (roots) to an area

of lower potential (leaves). Thus water moves from out the soil, into the roots, up the

stems and in to the leaves to replace the water being lost. There are factors that

influence the rate of transpiration and these include: humidity, temperature, light

intensity and wind/air movements. If the air is warm (temperature is high), has less

water molecules (low humidity) and it is windy then the plant will lose water rapidly
thus increasing the rate of transpiration. However, if the air is cooler (low

temperatures), has more water molecules present (high humidity) and the air is still

then the plant will lose less water hence the transpiration rate is low.

During this experiment, how the rate of transpiration is affected by wind was

investigated. The controlled plant in this investigation was the plant away from the

fan. It was used to show how a plant would behave on a still day. The oil was poured

in each conical flask to prevent water from evaporating. If it was not present, then the

mass of water after 30 minutes in each flask would be lower. The fan was used to

represent the wind on a windy day. After the experiment, the plant away from the fan

lost only 1.6 g of water and the rate of transpiration was 0.053 g/min. the plant in front

of the fan lost 6.4 g of water and the rate of transpiration was 0.21 g/min.

The plant away from the fan had the lowest results because it did not need to

transpire as fast as the other plant due to the air around it being still hence it did not

need to cool itself down. That is why the leaves were still firm and the plant was

upright because it did not lose or used much water. On the other hand, the plant in

front of the fan had a higher rate of transpiration and lost more grams of water because

of the constant breeze from the fan. The plant used the water in the conical flask for

transpiration to cool itself down but as the leaves were releasing the water vapour, it

was blown away so the plant had to be consistently transpiring. Thus, the leaves were

limp and wrinkled because they were constantly losing water.

Transpiration is the process by which plants lose water to the environment

through diffusion and evaporation. Wind is a factor that influences the rate of

transpiration. The higher the wind, the higher the rate of transpiration and vice versa.
Limitations:

1. The mass of the water in the conical flask was not measured properly hence the

rate of transpiration was not precise.

2. The Spanish needle plants were not the same sizes and one had more leaves

than the other thus affecting the rate of transpiration

Conclusion:

It can be concluded that the higher the air movements/wind then the

higher the rate of transpiration. The plant in front of the fan had a higher rate of

transpiration than the plant away from the fan.