Introduction

Photosynthesis is an essential process for life here in this planet. As humans we

need photosynthesis to live for it produces the primary element of life which is

oxygen. Photosynthesis is also responsible for the plants to exist and to survive. This

mechanism primarily provides energy to the planet’s life systems. Photosynthesis is

the basis of plant growth, and improving photosynthesis can contribute toward

greater food security in the coming decades as world population increases (Evans,

2013). Photosynthesis serves the purpose of converting solar energy into chemical

energy and storing that chemical energy for later use. The process converts carbon

dioxide, water, and sunlight into oxygen and sugar-based energy.

The photosynthesis experiment we performed Is about the effect of baking powder

(sodium bicarbonate) in the process of photosynthesis using the mahogany leaves

(Swietenia macrophylla) as our subject element. The used baking powder serves as

the carbon dioxide that plants take to perform photosynthesis. Since carbon dioxide

has significant role in the process of photosynthesis we used baking soda as an

alternative of carbon dioxide. The added baking powder increases the concentration

of carbon dioxide and will increase the rate of photosynthesis generally increases

until limited by another factor. The experiment demonstrated the effect of carbon

dioxide on the process of photosynthesis. The executed photosynthesis experiment

answered the questions and objectives of the said experiment.

 Objectives

•Explain what is photosynthesis.

•To explain how baking soda speed up photosynthesis.

•To determine the time for the leaf disc sink.

Materials:

•Baking Soda. •150 mL water

•200 mL beaker •Stirring Rod

•¼ measuring spoon. •Mahogany leaf

•Flashlight. •Puncher

Procedure

1. Gather a mahogany leaf and plunge the leaf on the puncher to make small

circular disk.

2. Get a 200 mL beaker and fill it with 150 mL of water.

3. Use the ¼ measuring spoon to add a few amount of baking powder into the

water.

4. Stir the substance thoroughly with the use of stirring rod.

5. Place the mahogany disks in the substance.

6. Turn on the flashlight and place it in front of the beaker, the flashlight will

serve as the artificial light that the leaf disk will absorb in the photosynthesis

process
Result and Discussion

Photosynthesis Experiment

(10) Mahogany disc with baking soda

Time Number of mahogany leaf disk that sink

After 10 minutes 0

After 30 minutes 0

After 1 hour 0

After 1 hour and 30 minutes 0

After 2 hours 1

After 2 hours and 30 minutes 4

After 3 hours 6

After 3 hours and 30 minutes 7

Total number of disk that sink: 7 leaf disk sink out of 10

The table shows the time interval of the mahogany disc that sink. The added baking

soda (sodium bicarbonate) made the mahogany descend because it increased the

concentration of carbon dioxide in the substance since the leaf disk intake the

carbon dioxide from the baking powder, bicarbonate ion acts as a carbon source for

photosynthesis therefore infiltrating the air space and increasing the overall density

of the leaf causing the mahogany disks to sink.