To Investigate the Effect of Light Intensity on The Rate of Photosynthesis

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To Investigate the Effect of Light Intensity on

The Rate of Photosynthesis

Predication

As it is seen in figure 1 that in order for any plant to photosynthesis it need three main raw materials:

. Water

2. Carbon Dioxide

3. Light

These are also known as 'limiting factors' of photosynthesis (another limiting factor that has not been mentioned above is temperature), therefore if the limiting factors are increased the rate of photosynthesis should also increase.

Carbon Dioxide + Water Sugar + oxygen Sunlight

Figure 1. Formula for Photosynthesis

From figure 1 the fact that without light photosynthesis could not happen could also be concluded. This is proven from a previous experiment, which is set up to compare if light is limited would the plant still produce glucose as food. This is done by setting up a plant that had been given all the raw materials to photosynthesis, compared to a plant that had light limited. As the result of this experiment, when iodine solution, which is used to test for glucose, is added to the decolourised plant, which had all the right raw material to photosynthesis, it turned blue-black which mean glucose had been produced. And when iodine solution is added to the decolourised plant with light limited it stayed reddish brown, which showed that glucose had not been produced as.
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From here a prediction could be made that if the light intensity is increased so should the rate of photosynthesis. This could be predicted from an experiment done, which tested the rate of photosynthesis when light is applied to a piece of pondweed from a long distance and a short distance, which also mean testing the rate of photosynthesis at a low and a high light intensity. To compare which gives off more oxygen as a by produced of photosynthesis.

Table 1. Result of previous experiment

Distance between lamp and pondweed (cm)

Number of O2 ...

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