Lab 5 Worksheet

Compose answers to the questions below and save the file as a backup copy in the event that a
technical problem is encountered while attempting to submit the assignment. Make sure to run a spell
check.

You will be submitting your answers to the lab assignment in two parts. The first part of the lab
assignment consists of the laboratory exercise questions. The second part of the lab assignment is the
application question. The first textbox on the submission page corresponds to the first part of the
lab. Be sure to paste the laboratory exercise questions, with your answers, into this textbox. The
second textbox on the submission page will be for your response to the application question.

LABORATORY EXERCISE QUESTIONS

~~1.
a. What is the name of the only pigment that captures light directly in photosynthesis?
(be specific) (2 points)
a. Chlorophyll

b. Why does this pigment appear green? (2 points)

a. The pigment appears green because chlorophyll absorbs red and blue light and

reflect green light that is not used.

~~2. List two variables besides the wavelength (color) of light which might affect the rate of food
production in plants. (4 points)

a. Carbon Dioxide

b. The intensity of the light

~~3. Why is chlorophyll important for all biological life? (5 points)

a. Chlorophyll is important for all of biological life because it is where photosynthesis takes
place, and with photosynthesis we wouldn’t have oxygen.

~~4.
a. In Part I of the procedure, what is the name of the indicator used to identify the
presence of CO 2 ? (2 points)
a. Phenol red

b. What color did the indicator turn after blowing air into the water through the straw?
(2 points)
a. Yellow

~~5.
a. What color did the indicator turn after the tube was placed under a light source for 30
minutes? (2 points)
a. Red

b. Why did this occur? (3 points)

a. The indicator turned red because the levels of CO2 changed.
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~~6. List the functions of these four common pigments found in plants. (4 points)

a. Chlorophyll a

a.  specifically absorbs primarily blue-violet and red-orange wavelengths of

light. It directly participates in the light reactions of photosynthesis.

b. Chlorophyll b

a. primarily absorbs blue light and is an accessory pigment. It doesn't directly

participate in the photosynthesis process; instead it collects additional

wavelengths of light and passes that energy onto chlorophyll  a

c. Xanthophyll

a. yellow pigment of leaves and are classified as accessory pigments which

absorbs the wavelength that chlorophyll cannot absorb.

d. Carotene

a. orange pigments that transmits light energy they have absorbed from

chlorophyll.

~~7. If the R f value of a pigment is .3750 and the distance that the solvent traveled is 11 cm, how
far did the pigment travel? (5 points)
a. .3750 X 11cm = 4.125cm

~~8. Please list the Distance the solvent traveled, the Distance the pigment traveled, and the
calculated R f value for each of the pigments extracted from the spinach leaves, in the acetone
chromatography procedure. (8 points)

a. Carotene

a. Distance solvent travelled = 7.7cm Distance pigment travelled = 5cm: Rf=

0.6493

b. Xanthophyll

a. Distance solvent travelled = 7.7cm Distance pigment travelled = 3.8cm: Rf=

0.4935

c. Chlorophyll a
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a. Distance solvent travelled = 7.7cm Distance pigment travelled = 2.1cm: Rf=

0.2727

d. Chlorophyll b

a. Distance solvent travelled = 7.7cm Distance pigment travelled = 0.8cm: Rf=

0.1039

~~9. Based on the R f results, which pigment has the highest molecular weight? How can you tell?
(5 points)
a. Chlorophyll b has the highest molecular weight because it traveled the shortest distance
up the paper and had the smallest Rf results of 0.1039.

~~10. From the chromatography lab, which pigments were soluble in the acetone? Explain your
answer. (5 points)
a. Green and yellow were soluble in the acetone because of the Chlorophyll a and b that
reflect the green pigment and Xanthophylls that reflects the yellow pigment

~~11. The earth's early atmosphere did not contain oxygen gas. This changed dramatically once the
early cells underwent photosynthesis.

a. Given that the early atmosphere did not contain oxygen gas, explain how photosynthesis
was able to occur in this type of early atmosphere. (5 points)
a. Instead of tapping into sunlight for energy, organisms used methane and hydrogen
sulfide that filled the earths atmosphere at the time.

b. How did the photosynthesis process allow for the evolution of other, non-photosynthetic
organisms? (5 points)
a. Oxygen reacted with metal cofactors and free radicals formed, most cells couldn’t
handle the reaction and were wiped out, until aerobic organisms formed that
could live in the presence of oxygen.

~~12.
a. In reviewing the data from the floating disk experiment, which factor had a greater
impact on the rate of photosynthesis, increased light intensity or increased
concentration of carbon dioxide? (1 point)
a. Increased light intensity.

b. Use your data to justify your response. (5 points)

a. Increased light intensity had a greater impact on the rate of photosynthesis
because the more intense the light was the more oxygen was produced hence
the floating of the disks.

**INFORMATION NEEDED TO COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING PROBLEMS**

Independent Variable: This is the cause.
Dependent Variable: This is the response or effect.

One hundred samples of several different plants were placed in each of six sealed containers with
water in them. At the end of two days the amount of oxygen produced was measured. Results are
shown in the table below.
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Height of Light Source of Distance mL O 2

Container Plant
Plant Intensity Light from Light Produced

1 Iris 4" High Artificial 6" 16

2 Iris 4" High Natural 6" 13

3 Iris 6" Low Artificial 5" 12

4 Carnation 6" High Natural 4" 13

5 Carnation 6" Low Natural 4" 9

6 Carnation 4" Low Artificial 5" 14

~~13. Multiple Choice: Based on the data presented in the table, which two containers could be
correctly used to compare the rate of photosynthesis at two different light sources? Explain your
answer. (5 points)

a. 1 and 2

a. This would be the best to compare the rate of photosynthesis because it only

has one independent variable which is the change in the light source while

everything else is the exact same (the dependent variables).

b. 2 and 3

c. 1 and 5

d. 5 and 6

e. 4 and 5

~~14. Multiple Choice: Compare Containers 4 and 5. What independent variable is tested by this
comparison? Explain your answer. (5 points)

a. Kind of plant

b. Height of plant

c. Light intensity

a. The light intensity is the only variable that changes between the two

containers.

d. Distance from light source

e. Light source
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~~15. Multiple Choice: Which container had the slowest rate of photosynthesis? Explain your
answer. (5 points)

a. 1

b. 2

c. 3

d. 4

e. 5

a. Container 5 had the slowest rate of photosynthesis because it only produced 9

mL of O2 that is because the flower was set at the lowest intensity of light

and was placed in natural light at a height of 6" giving the flower more

oxygen to produce.

f. 6

APPLICATION QUESTION

~~16. (Application) How might the information gained from this lab pertaining to photosynthesis
and pigments be useful to you, or how can you apply this knowledge to your everyday life as a
non-scientist? The application will be graded according to the rubric below. (20 points)
a. I can apply the knowledge of photosynthesis to my everyday life every time I breath,
because oxygen is created during the photosynthesis cycle. The sun rays onto plants, such
as trees, trees take in CO2 which then produces O2 allowing for humans to breath. I will
also use my knowledge of photosynthesis to my everyday life every time I drive my car.
Photosynthesis produce energy and that energy is used to create fossil fuels which is then
used as gas to power millions of people’s vehicles.