LABORATORY ACTIVITY 7

BUBBLING PONDWEED

I. INTRODUCTION
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, add
water, and use the energy of sunlight to produce sugar.
Water + Carbon Dioxide + Light Energy → Oxygen + Sugar
Photosynthesis occurs in the chloroplast, an organelle in plant cells that contains the molecule
chlorophyll. Chlorophyll absorbs the energy of sunlight. That light energy is converted to
chemical energy through the steps of photosynthesis.
The reactions of photosynthesis can be divided into two major types: light-dependent reactions
and light-independent reactions. The light-dependent reactions convert energy from the sun into
a form that the chloroplast can then use to make sugar from carbon dioxide; in the process
producing oxygen as a waste product. The light-independent reactions use that energy to make
glucose from carbon dioxide and water.
The easiest rate-limiting factor to investigate using bubbling pondweed is light intensity. In this
investigation, light intensity can be changed by moving a plant to different distances from a
lamp.
Like many other water plants, pondweed has specialized tissue called aerenchyma that allows
oxygen to diffuse inside the plant. If you cut through the aerenchyma, this gas can escape. We
can count the bubbles in a set time to investigate the rate of photosynthesis under different
conditions.

Objective: Observe how different light intensities affect the rate of photosynthesis.

II. MATERIALS
 Approx 5-7cm long piece of pondweed
 Boiling tube
 Lamp
 Meter ruler / measuring tape
 Stop clocks / timers
 1% sodium bicarbonate solution (or water)
Safety: Take care with the use of water near electrical equipment. Ensure hands are dry
when using lamps.

III. PROCEDURE
1. Half-fill a boiling tube with 1% sodium bicarbonate solution (or water).
2. Place your pondweed into the boiling tube (upside down – cut end up)
3. Gently push the pondweed down – care not to snap the stem
4. Top up the boiling tube and place on a rack
5. Position a lamp to shine onto the leaves of the plant
6. Bubbles of gas should be seen emerging from the cut end after 1-2 minutes. If bubbles do not
appear, cut the end of the stem again to freshen it up

Investigation: How does light intensity affect the rate of photosynthesis?

 Fix a ruler to your desk so that you can easily move your plugged-in lamp along it.
 Place the boiling tube rack (and plant) at 0cm along the ruler
 Place the lamp as close as you can to 0cm so that it is shining on the leaves
 Allow the plant to adjust to this light
 Count the number of bubbles escaping from the cut end in one minute
 Record your data (repeat if time allows)
 Repeat the experiment for all of the distances you decided, starting with the shortest
distance and getting further away from the lamp

Data Table 1. Rate of Photosynthesis

Distance (cm) Rate (bubbles per minute)
10 83
20 54
30 48
40 8
50 6

IV. ANALYSIS
1. Explain how photosynthesis occurs in this experiment.
- Like other green plants, pond weed can make sugar from carbon dioxide and water.
When this happens, oxygen is also made. This oxygen comes out of the plant and can be
seen as bubbles in the water around the pond weed. To do this job, the pond weed needs
energy. In this activity, we use artificial light as a solar energy.

2. Create a graph to present the data. What does the graph tell you about the relationship of
light intensity and the rate of photosynthesis?
 - The higher the light intensity the higher the rate of photosynthesis, and if the light
intensity if far and low, also the rate of photosynthesis.

3. What is the importance of sodium hydrogen carbonate solution in the experiment?

- Sodium carbonate NaHCO3 can increase the rate of photosynthesis by providing the reaction
with additional carbon dioxide. As sodium carbonate dissolves in water, sodium hydroxide
NaOH and carbonic acid H2 CO3 are formed. The latter breaks down in turn into water H2 O
and carbon dioxide gas CO2. Again, this carbon dioxide helps fuel photosynthesis. In the event
that carbon dioxide were a limiting factor, sodium carbonate may possibly serve the reaction in
this regard.

4. What other factors can affect the rate of photosynthesis?

- Light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration and temperature. Also the volume of water that
was used, the size of pondweed and also it’s position.

5. What would happen if our planet will be devoid of plants?

- Without plants not only would we have no oxygen to breathe but we'd also have nothing to eat
because all the animals that depend on plants would be gone. Without plants, life on Earth as we
know it would be impossible because they provide food for humans, pets, and all wild animals.
If photosynthesis ceased, there would soon be little food or other organic matter on Earth, most
organisms would disappear, and Earth's atmosphere would eventually become nearly devoid of
gaseous oxygen.

V. GENERALIZATION
What did you learn from this experiment?
- Watching gas bubble up from a pondweed as it photosynthesises can be a great
demonstration how every plants actively work everyday. When placed closer to a light
source, the rate of bubbling will speed up, and as the pondweed is taken further away, the
bubbles will slow down again – an instant and visual indicator of the importance of light
intensity in photosynthesis. The bubbles produced by pondweed can be counted and the
rate of bubbling can serve as an indication of the rate of photosynthesis. We can
investigate the effects of either light intensity or the wavelength (colour) of light on
photosynthesis. The primary function of photosynthesis is to convert solar energy into
chemical energy and then store that chemical energy for future use.