Plant Respiration and Photosynthesis Lab

Cynthia Sargent introduces a lab on plant respiration and photosynthesis, part of PASCO's Biology Through Inquiry manual. The lab uses simple materials like spinach and a CO2 sensor to help students visualize changes in carbon dioxide levels during photosynthesis and respiration. The video covers setup, calibration, data collection, and analysis, emphasizing inquiry-based learning and student-designed experiments.

What is the main objective of the plant respiration and photosynthesis lab?

• To measure the oxygen levels in water

• To understand the global carbon cycle

• To study the growth rate of plants

• To observe the effects of different fertilizers

Which plant is used in the lab experiment?

• Fern

• Algae

• Spinach

• Elodea

What is the purpose of calibrating the Carbon Dioxide Sensor?

• To measure the temperature

• To check the humidity levels

• To test the light intensity

• To ensure accurate CO2 readings

How long should the light shine on the spinach leaves before starting data collection?

• 20 seconds

• 40 seconds

• 10 seconds

• 30 seconds

What is the sample rate set to for data collection?

• Every two seconds

• Every second

• 1 Hz

• 2 Hz

What variable is controlled by leaving the light on during the darkness experiment?

• CO2 levels

• Light intensity

• Temperature

• Humidity

What should students do before starting the second run of data collection in darkness?

• Increase the sample rate

• Predict the outcome

• Add more spinach leaves

• Change the light bulb

What tool can be used to find the rate of change in CO2 concentration?

• Linear fit

• Statistics tool

• Annotation tool

• Graph scale

What can students change in the initial setup to design their own inquiry?

• Type of plant

• Amount of water

• Distance of the light

• Size of the bottle

What is one benefit of this lab mentioned in the presentation?

• It uses advanced equipment

• It provides direct evidence of photosynthesis and respiration

• It requires a long time to see results

• It is very expensive to perform