Lab Write-up:

By: Sarah Newman, Anna Lozano, and Emma Robertson

Materials:
1. 4 plants
2. Water
3. Stir straws
4. Red, blue, and purple cellophane
5. A sunny spot
6. A camera to take pictures
7. Labeling tape
8. Scale to weigh plants
Procedure:
Step one: We cover one plants light in blue cellophane for 3 weeks. We will be
measuring the effect the blue cellophane has on the plant. We do the same for two
other plants, using yellow and purple cellophane as well. The different colored
cellophane will prevent different colors of sunlight rays from being absorbed by the plant
ready for photosynthesis.
Step two: Every day we take a picture of the three experimental plants and the
controlled plant to compare the results of the different colored cellophane on the plants.
Step three: We measure the mass and height (at soil level) of each plant and record
the leaves coloration every day.
Step four: We notice and make observations how the different colored lighting on the
three plants versus the plant in natural, regular light effects the leaves colors and
masses, and find if certain colors impact the plant more than other colors or natural
light.
Step five: We place the pictures of each plant in chronological order to notice and
compare growth and differences.
Step six: We record all of our data, observations, and notes, in the charts below:

Plant 1: Plant 2: Plant 3:

Blue cellophane Yellow cellophane Purple cellophane

Week 1 mass: 96.77g 86.32g 91.79g

Week 2 mass: 75.46g 64.36g 77.33g

Week 3 mass: 37.19g 37.44g 40.80g

Control plant:
 No cellophane

Week 1 mass: 83.74g

Week 2 mass: 30.55g

Week 3 mass: 53.47g

Week 1 plants:
Week 2 plants:
Week 3 plants:
Final day plants:

Hypothesis:
If we cover our plants with colored cellophane to block certain colored rays of
sunlight from being absorbed by the plant in the process of photosynthesis then the
covered plants will be affected in different ways from lack of certain colored light rays,
while the control plant remains healthy.

Analysis:
If you were to look at the two charts above, you would see that the plants
masses have changed over the course of three weeks. Plant one, with blue cellophane,
decreased by 21.31 grams from week one to week two and a decrease of 38.27 grams
from week two to week three. Plant two, with the yellow cellophane, decreased by 21.96
grams from week one to week two and a decrease of 26.92 grams from week two to
week three. Plant three, with the purple cellophane, decreased by 14.4 grams from
week one to week two and decreased by 36.53 grams from week two to week three.
Lastly, plant four, our control plant, decreased by 53.19 grams from week one to week
two, but increased by 22.92 grams from week two to week three. The increase is most
likely a result of following two different watering patterns and using different amounts of
water each week before weighing the control plant.
Conclusion:
Our hypothesis was correct in that the state of the plant changed when certain
light rays were blocked from the plants leaves during photosynthesis. One of our plants
got a small dt of mold on one of its leaves. We believe that the cause of the mold on the
;eave was the original way we put the colored cellophane on. We started the experiment
by wrapping the entire plant with cellophane, and becauses we did this we think that
some of the water tried to evaporate, but because the water could not leave it
condensed and molded on the leaf. After seeing this, we quickly removed the
cellophane and created a tent-like structure that prevented the sunlight from entering
the plant without passing through the cellophane. It also was very breathable for the
plant to the water was able to escape the area if needed. Next time we do this
experiment we will start with the new and improved way of placing the cellophane. Two
possible errors that could have occurred are possible dehydration of the plant or
accidental drowning of the plant. Overall our experiment worked very successfully and
gave us results that we had previously predicted in our hypothesis.