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The Influence of Light on Photosynthesis

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The influence of light on Photosynthesis

Table of contents
Front page and table of contents Page 1
Introduction
Page 2
Review of literature Page 3 and 4
Methodology and presentation of findings Page 5 and 6
Procession of findings Page 7
Conclusion
Page 8

Introduction
In this project I believe the outcome will be that light energy is essential for photosynthesis to occur. The aim was to show that light is necessary for photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process of converting light energy into chemical potential energy and storing it as starch. This process occurs in plants and some algae. Plants need light energy, CO2, and H2O to make sugar. The process of photosynthesis takes place in the chloroplasts, …show more content…

Photosynthetic Efficiency
The production of sugars happens when energy from captured light is used in particular pathways. Scientists know these pathways and can therefore work out how efficient photosynthesis is in producing sugars. Scientists know that for a leaf to process two molecules of NADP+ into two molecules of NADPH, which in turn will create one hexose molecule, it must absorbs 8 photons of light.
Complicated mathematical equations show that photosynthesis is, on average, 30% efficient at reducing carbon dioxide to hexose. Photosynthesis has been measured at 25% efficiency in laboratory conditions. The plant measured to be the most efficient at photosynthesis in natural conditions (8%) was the winter-evening primrose and sugarcane has shown 7% efficiency. Farming food crops photosynthesis at a rate of between 1 and 4%, as does algae.
This information was taken off a physics website and didn’t help me during my experiment. I had already found out a lot about photosynthesis and how light affect it which was the point of this investigation. What this information did do was reassure me that photosynthesis is an efficient process. It also showed me how conditions can change the rate of photosynthesis and from this I knew it was likely my experiment would be a success. http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/biology/ligabs.html Methadology and presentation of findings
Method
1. Cover a portion of a leaf with tinfoil to exclude

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