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The Effect of Leaf Color on the Rate of Photosynthesis 

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The Effect of Leaf Color on the Rate of Photosynthesis 

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Names: Flora Ravin, Jessica Greig, Sofia Sandino, Brandon Fagen

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How does the color of a leaf affect the rate of photosynthesis?

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Hypothesis: Leaves with more chlorophyll (greener leaves) will have a greater rate of photosynthesis in comparison to leaves with less chlorophyll (whiter leaves).

Prediction: If the plant has greener leaves then it will have a greater rate of photosynthesis in comparison to a plant with whiter leaves due to the amount of chlorophyll in the leaves.

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1. Prepare 300 mL of 0.2% bicarbonate solution for each experiment.

2. Pour the bicarbonate solution into two clear plastic cups to a depth about 3 cm. Label cups with experimental variables.

3. Using a hole punch, cut 10 or more green uniform leaf disks for one cup; for the other cup, cut 10 or more white uniform leaves. Avoid major leaf veins. Make sure the leaves have  a solid color.

4. Remove the piston or plunger the syringes for the green leaves. Place the 10 leaf disks into each syringe barrel.

5. Replace the plunger, but be careful not to crush the leaves. Push in the plunger until only a small volume of air and leaf disk remain in the barrel.

6. Pull a small volume (5 cc) of solution from your prepared cups into each syringe. Tap each syringe to suspend the leaf disks in the solution. Make sure that, with the plunger inverted, the disks are suspended in the solution. Make sure no air remains. Move the plunger to get rid of air from the plunger before you attempt the next step.

7. Create a vacuum in the plunger to draw the air out of the leaf tissue with your finger. Swirl the leaf disks.

8. Pour the disks and the solution from the syringe into the appropriate clear plastic cup. Place the cups onto separate light pads.

9. Start timer and at the end of each minute record the number of floating disks. Swirl to dislodge any leaves that are stuck.

10. Record the estimated time for 50% of the leaves to become floating. Record your findings.

11. Repeat steps 4-10 for the white leaves.

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For each trial, 8 white leaves and 10 green leaves were used in experimentation. In trial 1, the time it took for half the green leaves to float was 744 seconds and 1829 seconds in trial 2. In trial 1, the time it took for half the white leaves to float was 660 seconds, and 630 seconds in trial 2.

Description of General Trends: As seen by the bar marked Green, the time it took for 50% of the leaves to float varied drastically between trials, but it remains greater than the white leaves in both instances. As seen by the bar marked White, the time it took for 50& of the leaves to float was shorter than the green leaves in both trials. However, as represented by the standard deviation, there appears to be no significant difference between the two conditions.

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The results of the investigation suggest that the color of leaves has little to no effect on the rate of photosynthesis that occurs in a plant. While the white leaves had a greater mean in comparison to the green leaves, according to the standard deviation across two trials, no significant conclusion may be drawn from the experimentation.

The data did not support the hypothesis as it was predicted that the greener leaves would have a greater rate of photosynthesis as a result of their greater amount of chlorophyll that would absorb light energy.

The observations are important as they allow for a better understanding of the process of photosynthesis within plants by providing an indication of the rate. The findings suggest the amount of chlorophyll within a plant (though it drives photosynthesis) may not have a large effect on the overall rate of photosynthesis within a plant, which may describe why plants produce white leaves as well as green. The experiment may allow for a more clear understanding of the  formation of plants in terms of leaf color and the colors absorbed by plant leaves.

Errors that may have affected the outcome of the experiment may be a result of the light pads not providing enough light energy and the use of different leaves in both experiments. If the light pads were not completely focused onto the leaves in the same way for both experiments, then the amount of light energy received may be different. The greater the amount of light energy provided, then the more rapid the rate of photosynthesis. Either experiment may have gained a benefit or a disadvantage based on the light pads. Additionally, the use of different leaves may cause a difference as the colors may not have been exactly white or exactly green depending on the leaf. While the same plant was used, different leaves may have a different sort of waxiness or age that could produce another variable to affect the rate of photosynthesis. The data may have either increased or decreased depending on this variable as it could produce multiple effects unto both experiments. Overall, more trials and more leaves may reduce these errors.