Introduction

In this carbon dioxide and oxygen level lab the scientific concepts
are photosynthesis and cellular respiration. These concepts are
both used to either get food or energy. However, photosynthesis
requires carbon dioxide going in the plant while oxygen exits the
plant. Its main function is to get a plant to use the energy of
sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high
energy. The glucose is made for energy and food that is
mandatory for the plant to survive.

Some of the glucose is used to provide energy for the growth and
development of plants while the rest is stored in leaves or roots to
be used by the plants at a later time. Photosynthesis occurs in
two stages commonly known as Light dependent Reactions and
the Calvin Cycle.

There are three steps to cellular respiration: glycolysis, the Krebs

cycle and the electron transport chain. First, Glycolysis breaks
down glucose and forms pyruvate with the production of two
molecules of ATP. Next is the Krebs cycle which uses the two
molecules of pyruvic acid formed in glycolysis and yields high-
energy molecules of NADH and FADH2, as well as some ATP. In the
electron transport chain NADH and FADH 2 lose their electrons, and
the energy from those electrons is used to produce ATP.
The main objectives of this lab were to set up the lab and
measure the levels and slopes of the carbon dioxide and oxygen.
The overall purpose of this lab is to show when each cycle would
occur depending on if there is light or not.
My hypothesis is that in the dark there would be less oxygen
because the plant cant undergo photosynthesis. My reasoning
behind this hypothesis is that when photosynthesis takes place
there is more oxygen released. Photosynthesis however, can only
occur in the light. This is why the plant would have to undergo
cellular respiration instead of photosynthesis.
Results
The findings of graph 1 (light) was that the oxygen levels rose as
the time increased. The carbon dioxide levels decreased as time
increases. In the CO2 part of the light graph, the levels increased
from 0 through 2 minutes then stayed the same through 5
minutes. Once the levels got to 5 minutes, they decreased
through 15 minutes. The slope ended up being 0.09178. In the
oxygen part of the light graph, the levels increased to about 39 in
the 0 through 5 minute range. The levels continued to increase as
the numbers went up to 15 minutes. The slope ended up being
0.1806.
The findings of graph 2 (dark) was that the oxygen levels
decreased tremendously at about 6 minutes. After the decrease,
the slope started to rise again. The ending slope was 0.001147.
The carbon dioxide levels decrease while the time increases.
There was a slight dip in the levels at the 10 minute mark, and
there was a slight rise at about the 13 minute mark.
Discussion
The data that led me to conclude that my hypothesis was not all
the way correct was the carbon dioxide graphs. The dark lab
(graph 2) had a decrease in carbon dioxide while the oxygen
levels increased. Also in the graph you can see that at some
points the ending carbon dioxide is less than the oxygen levels.
My understanding of photosynthesis and cellular respiration
shows that the data is correct because the oxygen levels were
higher than the carbon dioxide levels in the dark lab (graph 2).
This graph demonstrates how less amounts of light will decrease
the amount of carbon dioxide. Graph one (light) supports my
hypothesis because it shows that with sunlight both oxygen and
carbon dioxide levels increase. This shows that both the scientific
concepts were used in my hypothesis and can support my
reasoning.
Other groups received most of the same data. Some of the
differences could have been how close they had the bottle to the
light or how they wrapped their bottle in the tin foil. To make this
lab better I think we could have wrapped a thicker layer of tin foil
around the bottle in the dark lab to make sure that absolutely no
light could have gotten in. We also could have placed the bottles
in a dark room or cupboard. Something we could have changed in
the light lab is left it on the plant to see if having the roots on it
would have helped the leaf benefit because it has more of its
necessities.