Effect of Various Polarizing Filters on the Photosynthesis of Spinach

Leaves
Number of Leaf Disks Floating
Time Control Linear Left-Handed Right-
(minutes) (Non- Polarization Circular Handed
Polarized) Polarization Circular
Polarization
1 0 0 0 0
2 0 0 0 0
3 0 0 0 0
4 0 0 0 0
5 0 0 0 2
6 0 0 0 3
7 0 0 0 3
8 0 1 0 4
9 0 2 0 4
10 0 2 0 4

Effect of Various Polarizing Filters on the Photosynthesis of Spinach Leaves

4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
Number of Floating Leaf DIsks 2
1.5
1
0.5
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Time (minutes)

Control (Non-Polarized) Linear Polarization

Left-Handed Circular Polarization Right-Handed Circular Polarization
 Estimated Time for 20% of Leaf Disks to Float
Orientation Control Linear Left-Handed Right-
of (Non- Polarization Circular Handed
Polarization Polarized) Polarization Circular
Polarization

ET20 0 9 0 5
(minutes)

Materials:
- 2 real D 3D glass lenses
- 1 polarized sunglass lens
- 1 non-polarized sunglass lens
- cardboard box
- paper
- scissors
- tape
- light source
- sodium bicarbonate solution (0.2%)
- plastic syringe
- leaf material (spinach)
- hole punch
- plastic cups
- timer
- liquid soap
- pipette

Procedure:
1. Use a hole punch to punch out 40 disks of the leaf avoiding the major veins.
2. Pour bicarbonate solution (0.2%) into 4 different plastic cups, each to a depth
of about 3 cm.
3. Using a pipette, add one drop of a dilute liquid soap solution to the solution in
each cup. Avoid suds.
4. Infiltrate the leaf disks with sodium bicarbonate solution. Remove the piston
or plunger of the syringe and place the leaf disks into the syringe barrel.
Replace the plunger being careful not to crush the leaf disks. Push on the
 plunger until only a small volume of air and leaf disk remain in the barrel
(<10%). Only put 20 leaf disks in the syringe at a time. (This step, along with
steps 5 and 6, will have to be repeated or performed on a second syringe in
order to get all 40 leaf disks done.)
5. Pull a small volume, about 5-6 mL, of sodium bicarbonate solution in the cup
into the syringe. Tap the syringe to suspend the leaf disks in the solution. Also
turn the syringe upside down, and push out any air that may be caught in the
tip.
6. Holding a finger over the syringe-opening, draw back on the plunger to create
a vacuum. Hold this vacuum for about 10 seconds. While holding the vacuum,
swirl the leaf disks to suspend them in the solution. Let off the vacuum so
that the bicarbonate solution will infiltrate the air spaces in the leaf and
cause it to sink. This step may have to be repeated 2-3 times in order to get
the disks to sink.
7. Pour the disks and solution into the 4 cups, 10 leaf disks each.
8. Cut 4 holes, approximately the size of the cups containing the leaf disks, into
the top of a cardboard box.
9. Tape the non-polarized sunglass lens over one hole. Then tape the polarized
sunglass lens over a second hole. Orient one of the real D 3D lenses to mimic
right-handed circular polarization, and tape it over a third hole. Orient the
second real D 3D lenses to mimic left-handed circular polarization, and tape it
over the fourth hole. Label each of the 4 orientations somewhere on the
cardboard box next to the hole.
10.Tape pieces of paper (preferably thick) around the lenses in order to cover
any spaces in the holes that are not covered by the lenses so that light does
not reach the cups without first passing through the lenses.
11.Place the 4 cups inside the cardboard box, each under one of the holes.
12.Place this setup under the light source with the light sources about 10 cm
away and begin timing. Record the number of floating disks after each minute
for 10 minutes. Swirl the disks to dislodge any that are stuck against the
sides of the cups.
13.To make comparisons between experiments, a standard reference point is
needed. In this case, the Estimated Time it takes for 20% of the leaf disks to
float (ET20) can be used. Record the ET20 for each variable.
14.Record data and make charts and graphs to represent the results. (Time
should be plotted on the x-axis, and the number of disks to rise should be
plotted on the y=axis for each variable.)