Photosynthesis Lab Report

Lab Report: Photosynthesis

Randa Morris
11/21/16

Introduction
Plants use light from the sun to create sugars using a process called photosynthesis. They
can do so by utilizing things called pigments. Pigments are any colored substance in a plant that
absorbs visible light (Raven, 2016.) Different pigments reflect and absorb different wavelengths.
For example, chlorophylls reflect greens, while carotenoids reflect reds, yellows, and oranges.
Absorption and reflection affects how much energy the plant can convert to create sugars
(Encyclopedia.com, 2016.) Chlorophyll a is the main pigment, since it absorbs a wide range of
wavelengths, while chlorophyll b, xanthophyll, and carotene are seen as accessory pigments
(Raven, 2016.)
There was a question as to how different pigments absorb wavelengths, and how being
exposed only to certain wavelengths would affect plant growth. In order to test this, two
experiments were set up. In the first, different plant pigments were separated and their
absorbance tested. The second experiment used plants that were grown in only certain colors of
light (green, blue, red, and all.)
Questions
Experiment 1: How does absorbance change for different pigments?

Photosynthesis Lab Report

Experiment 2: How does light wavelength affect plant growth?

Hypotheses
Experiment 1: Absorbance will be more efficient when all pigments are available.
Experiment 2: The plant introduced to all wavelengths will have the greatest growth.

Materials and Methods

For the first experiment to compare absorbance at different wavelengths, chromatography
paper, spinach leaves, a penny, separation solvent, a tube for the solvent, scissors, 4 test tubes,
ethanol, a water bath, 5 cuvettes, and a spectrophotometer. To begin, a penny was used to rub a
spinach leaf and make a band of green across the chromatography paper one inch from the
bottom. The paper was then rolled up and placed in the tube with the separation solvent with the
band towards the bottom. It was left in there ten minutes, removed, and then left to dried. Once it
was dried, the paper was cut to separate bands of color representing either chlorophyll a,
chlorophyll b, carotenoids, or all of the colors. They were separated, cut into pieces, and placed
in test tubes with 5 ml of ethanol in each. The tubes were then placed in a 70C water bath and
left for ten more minutes. Once removed, the liquid from the tubes were emptied into separate
cuvettes. One cuvette contained only 5 ml of ethanol to be used as a blank. The
spectrophotometer was then blanked using the cuvette containing only ethanol, and used to test
and record the absorbance of the four tubes for wavelengths ranging from 350-725 nanometers.

Photosynthesis Lab Report

For the second experiment materials included growth chambers made from plastic
bottles, string, Fabacae seeds, water, cellophane in different colors (clear, blue, red, and green),
scissors, a scale, a ruler, alcohol, test tubes, a water bath, cuvettes, and a spectrophotometer.
Growth chambers were made using plastic bottles, and hole made in the cap. The bottom part of
the chamber contained water, with a string through the hole in the cap to carry the water up to the
top part of the chamber, containing the soil. Two seeds were planted in each of the four
chambers, and each chamber was wrapped in a different color of cellophane that was either clear,
blue, green or red so that only certain wavelengths reached the plant. They were then placed in a
greenhouse. After two weeks, the plants were removed and cut from the soil. The best plant of
the two from each chamber was then weighed and its height measured. 2 squares of were cut
from the leaves of each plant, and those squares were placed in one of four test tubes. Once
again, milliliters of alcohol were added to each test tube, and they were placed in a 70C water
baths for ten minutes. After, the liquids were drained into cuvettes, and the absorbance was
measured for 6 wavelength values after they were blanked.
Predictions
If using all the pigments increases absorbance, then the liquid with total pigments will have
absorbance at most values of visible light.
If being exposed to all wavelengths is more efficient for plant growth, then the control plants
with clear cellophane will have had the greatest average growth and absorbance.

Photosynthesis Lab Report

Results
Figure 1, Absorbance for experiment 1

Absorbance Value of Pigments at Visible Light Values

0.3
0.25
0.2
0.15

Absorbance

0.1
0.05
0

Axis Title
Wavelength (nanometers)
Chlorophyll a

Chlorophyll b

Carotenoids

Figure 2, Height and weight for experiment 2

Total Pigments

Photosynthesis Lab Report

Average Height and Weight for Color Groups

40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Control

Green

Blue

Red

Height (cm)

Weight (grams)

Figure 3, absorbance for experiment 2

Average Absorbance per Wavelength

2.5

1.5

Average Absorbance
1

0.5

0
Control (Clear)

Green

Blue (Violet)

Wave lenght (nanometers)

450

500

550

600

650

675

Red

Photosynthesis Lab Report

Conclusion
Experiment one seems to support the first hypothesis. The results of experiment two supports the
second hypothesis through the weight value, but the rest seems inconclusive.
Discussion
Experiment one and the graph displaying absorbance values shows that the solution containing
all pigments had the greatest absorbance at almost all values.
The plants exposed to blue light had the greatest average height, while the plants in the
control had the greatest average mass. While it was predicted that the control would have the
highest absorbance, there seemed to be little pattern when comparing the average absorbance for
each color and plant for each wavelength. There were some plants that had greater absorbance
depending on what light they grew in, but figure 3 does not seem to show much truth in the
prediction.

References
"Plant Pigment." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science. . Retrieved November 25, 2016 from

Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcriptsand-maps/plant-pigment-0

Raven, Peter. "Energy and Metabolism." Biology, 11th Edition. N.p.: McGraw Hill, 2016. N. pag.
Print.

Photosynthesis Lab Report