Problem statement

As Caleb was swimming he noticed that as he goes deeper he notice the water got
colder and less plants are grown. Plan and design an experiment to test how
temperature affects photosynthesis.
Title
Photosynthesis
Hypothesis
As the temperature increase (0℃-65℃) the rate of photosynthesis will also
increase until it reaches its 40℃ (optimal level) and then starts to decrease.
Aim
To evaluate the effects of varying temperature on the rate of photosynthesis with
the use of elodea plant.
Apparatus/materials
 Water bath
 Elodea
 Test tube
 Lamp
 Stop watch
 Water
 Sodium hydroxide
 Capillary tube
 beaker
Method
1. Fill the water bath with water, at room temperature.
2. Place the elodea in a test tube and fill with 30 ml water and 20 ml sodium
hydroxide to the top after which place a stopper so as to keep the carbon dioxide in
the test tube.
3. Make sure the elodea is at the top of the test tube and place a capillary tube
leading from the test tube with the stopper to a container with water where the
bubbles are counted.
4. Place light directly shining on the test tube in the water bath. Use a stopwatch to
time this.
5. After it has acclimatized, reset the stopwatch and start the time again.
6. Count the bubbles released from the elodea for 5 minutes. Check stopwatch
regularly so that time does not overrun.
7. Note down results in results table.
8. Repeat this experiment in a water bath (0℃), and at temperatures of 30℃, 40℃
and 65℃.
9. Plot a graph of Temperature (℃) on the x-axis and Number of bubbles released
after 5 minutes on the y-axis.
Variables

 Independent variable: Temperature

 Dependent Variable: Bubbles

 Controlled Variable: 30ml water, temperature of water

Treatment of data
TEMPERATURE (℃) NUMBER OF BUBBLES
PRODUCED IN 5MINS

0
30
40
65
Expected results
When the elodea is placed in water and the sodium hydroxide with a temperature
of 0℃, the rate of photosynthesis will be at a minimum. Only few oxygen bubbles
will be produced due to the amount of kinetic energy produced is less causing less
reaction and less collision. This is also because the enzyme rubisco works best at
higher temperatures as they gain more kinetic energy, therefore binding with
active sites at a faster rate.
When the elodea is in water with a temperature of 15℃, the rate of photosynthesis
will increase from when it was in 0℃. This is because the dark stage is controlled
by the enzyme rubisco, which catalysis carbon dioxide and RuBP. Enzymes work
best at higher temperatures, as they have more kinetic energy therefore colliding
with active sites at a faster rate. Therefore the elodea will produce more oxygen
bubbles at 15℃.
When the elodea is placed in a water bath of 35℃, the rate of photosynthesis will
increase further; this is because the enzyme rubisco is working closer to its
optimum rate. This is the temperature at which enzymes work at their maximum
rate. The optimum temperature for enzymes in plants is around 40℃. Therefore
more oxygen bubbles will be produced at this temperature.
When the elodea is placed in a water bath of 65℃, the rate of photosynthesis will
decrease steeply. This is because enzymes control the dark stage of photosynthesis.
Enzymes get denatured after the optimum temperature (40℃), as its three-
dimensional shape changes and intra and intermolecular bonds are broken, so that
the enzyme and substrate cannot be held in place long enough to react, and because
of the shapes changing they also do not bind as specifically as before. Therefore
after the optimum temperature the rate of photosynthesis will decrease, releasing a
smaller volume of oxygen.