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Photosynthesis is a major process in plants which harnesses electromagnetic energy from the sun and stores it as usable chemical energy. The reactants are carbon dioxide and water which, in the presence of light, yield glucose, oxygen, and water. It includes two processes: light-dependent reactions and light-independent reactions. The light-dependent reactions occur in the thylakoids of  chloroplasts in the presence of light (as the name entails). These supply the light-independent reactions, the Calvin cycle, which does not require light and takes place in the stroma of chloroplasts. The Calvin cycle results in G3P, which becomes glucose.

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In this experiment, the rate of photosynthesis was measured in leaf chads by seeing how long it would take them to float (with produced oxygen). Differing levels of carbon dioxide (3% and 6% baking soda) were used to test the effect of extra carbon dioxide on rate of photosynthesis.
Hypothesis: If the carbon dioxide concentration is doubled, then the rate of photosynthesis will increase.

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1. Hole punch 10 leaf chads from spinach leaves.
2. Place leaf chads in a syringe. Suck up a small amount of the 3% CO₂  solution, then place a finger on the end of the syringe to create a vacuum. Make and release pressure, and observe the leaf chads. Repeat step 2 until the leaf chads sink in the solution.
3. Fill a clear cup with 155 mL of the 3% baking soda CO₂ solution. Place the leaf chads in the solution, turn on the lamp, and begin timing. Note the time that half and then all of the chads reach the surface.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 with double the amount of baking soda in the 6% CO₂ solution.

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Independent variable: amount of baking soda in the CO₂ solution
Dependent variable: amount of time for the leaf chads to float
Control: baseline experimental group with 3% baking soda
Constants: amount and distance of the light, type of leaf, size of leaf chads, amount of soap in the CO2 solution

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Due to the -35.53% change from the baseline to the experimental average rate, I must reject my hypothesis. Based on the collected data, the rate of photosynthesis appeared to decrease when the CO₂ concentration was doubled. In fact, when comparing both of the trail 3's the baseline rate was almost double that of the experimental rate. However, the ET₅₀ were inconsistent with this conclusion, as the amount of time for half of the leaf chads to rise decreased in the experimental trials. This could be due to the fact that more CO₂ was readily available for photosynthesis.
The general data from each trial varied greatly in both groups, though the overall averages clearly debunk my hypothesis.

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Some sources of error that could have lead to the rejection of my hypothesis could be pH and the amount of soap in the solutions. The pH of the baseline solution was 8, a pH where the proteins active in photosynthesis thrived. In the doubled CO₂ environment, the pH was close to 10. This could have denatured the proteins, causing them to be less effective and slow the rate of photosynthesis.
Another source of error could lie in the amount of soap in the solutions. While 1 mL was the given amount, a large proportion of the soap remained in the pipettes when measuring. As the soap was intended to liquefy the cell membranes, differing amounts could effect the rate of photosynthesis.

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In order to eliminate the issue of too basic a pH in the experimental solution, a lesser amount of baking soda could be used. Perhaps adding 50% more baking soda to the experimental group rather than 100% would allow observation of increased concentrations of CO₂ without denaturing the proteins.
The amount of soap in each solution could be made equal by simply using a different measuring method or rinsing the pipette in the solution. Using the solution itself to rinse the inside of the pipette would allow any left behind soap to end up in the solution.