Waterweed Simulation



Name: _____________________________________________ Period: ____ Date: _________

Waterweed Simulation Internet Laboratory:

Introduction: In this simulation, you will be looking at the rate of photosynthesis in the common water plant elodea. The rate of photosynthesis is directly related to the amount of oxygen bubbles released by the plant into the water. The more oxygen given off = faster rate of photosynthesis. Three factors that influence the rate of photosynthesis will be adjusted in the simulator to determine how each of the factors affects the rate of photosynthesis.

Prelab: Write the equation for photosynthesis:

Experiment 1: Affect of Light Color on the Rate of Photosynthesis Settings: Light Level = 6.0, CO2 = 6.0, Speed = x1, Color of Bulb = Adjust the colors to complete the table. Do three trials for each color and find the average number of bubbles.

|Light Color |Number of Bubbles |Average # Bubbles |

| |(Light Level = 6.0 & CO2 = 6.0) | |

| |Trial 1 |Trial 2 |Trial 3 | |

|Colorless | | | | |

|Blue | | | | |

|Green | | | | |

|Red | | | | |

1. What is the independent variable (researcher controlling)? ____________________

2. What is the dependent variable (researcher measuring)? ____________________

3. What are the controlled variables? _________________________________________________

4. Based on the data, what color of light results in the fastest rate of photosynthesis? ____________

5. What conclusion can you make from this experiment: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Experiment 2: Affect of Light Level on Photosynthesis Settings: Light Level = Adjust to complete the table, CO2 = 6.0, Speed = x1, Color of Bulb = colorless. Do two trials for each light level and find the average number of bubbles.

|Light level |Number of Bubbles |Average # Bubbles |

| |(Light Color = Colorless & CO2 = 6.0 ) | |

| |Trial 1 |Trial 2 | |

|1.0 | | | |

|2.0 | | | |

|3.0 | | | |

|4.0 | | | |

|5.0 | | | |

|6.0 | | | |

|7.0 | | | |

|8.0 | | | |

|9.0 | | | |

|10.0 | | | |

1. What is the independent variable (researcher controlling)? ____________________

2. What is the dependent variable (researcher measuring)? ____________________

3. What are the controlled variables? _________________________________________________

4. Based on the data, what light level results in the fastest rate of photosynthesis? ______________

5. What conclusion can you make from this experiment: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Experiment 3: Affect of Carbon Dioxide on Photosynthesis: Settings: Light Level = 10, CO2 = variable, Speed = x1, Color of Bulb = colorless. Do two trials for level and find the average number of bubbles.

|CO2 Level |Number of Bubbles |Average # Bubbles |

| |(Light Color = Colorless & Light = 10.0 ) | |

| |Trial 1 |Trial 2 | |

|1.0 | | | |

|2.0 | | | |

|3.0 | | | |

|4.0 | | | |

|5.0 | | | |

|6.0 | | | |

|7.0 | | | |

|8.0 | | | |

|9.0 | | | |

|10.0 | | | |

1. What is the independent variable (researcher controlling)? ____________________

2. What is the dependent variable (researcher measuring)? ____________________

3. What are the controlled variables? _________________________________________________

4. Based on the data, what carbon dioxide level results in the fastest rate of photosynthesis? __________

5. What conclusion can you make from this experiment: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ANALYSIS: Write up a laboratory summary using complete sentences in paragraph form that includes the answers to the following questions

1. Based on the simulation experiments, what factors can affect the rate of photosynthesis in a plant?

2. What are the bubbles you are measuring in this lab? Why do the bubbles tell you how fast photosynthesis is occurring?

3. Why is it important that you keep two variables constant (such as light level and color) while you're testing how a third variable (CO2 Level) affects photosynthesis?

4. What settings can you put the simulator on to get the MAXIMUM rate of photosynthesis?

5. What variable made the largest change in the rate of photosynthesis?

6. How can you relate your results to the equation for photosynthesis?

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