Chapter 8 Lab Plant Pigments and Photosynthesis

Problem Do red leaves have the same pigments as green leaves?

Procedure
1. Straighten both paper clips. Bend each into a hook shape.
2. Push the straight end of each bent clip through the hole in a rubber stopper.
3. Lay one strip of chromatography paper flat on a sheet of clean paper. Place the green leaf at one
end of the strip as shown in Figure 1. Rock the edge of a quarter back and forth over the leaf at a
location about 2 cm from the end of the strip. This motion will transfer leaf pigments to the
chromatography paper.

Figure 1 How to transfer pigment

4. Punch the hook end of a paper clip through the strip near the end without the
pigments.
5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 with the red leaf and the second strip of chromatography
paper.
6. Place two test tubes in the test-tube rack. Insert a stopper and strip assembly into
one test tube. Try not to let the paper touch the inside of the tube. Make a mark
on the test tube about 1 cm below the pigment line. Label the test tube Red or
Green, depending on which assembly you used. Repeat the procedure with the
second stopper assembly and the second test tube.
7. Remove each stopper and strip assembly from its test tube. Add alcohol to each
tube until the surface of the alcohol reaches the mark on the tube.
8. Reinsert each stopper and strip assembly into its test tube. Again, try not to let the
paper touch the inside of the test tube. The alcohol should cover the bottom of
the paper but not touch the pigment, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 Completed setup

 9. Leave the test tubes undisturbed for 15–30 minutes. Check them every 5 minutes to see how far
up the paper strip the alcohol has moved. When the alcohol reaches the bottom of the paper clip,
remove the stopper and strip assembly from the test tube.
10. Allow the papers to dry. Attach the paper in the space provided below.

Analyze and Conclude

1. Compare and Contrast How are the two chromatograms similar? How are they different?

2. Analyze Data Using the chart that your teacher will provide, identify the pigments that are visible
on your chromatograms.

3. Apply Concepts Based on your results, does a red-leafed plant undergo

photosynthesis? Explain your answer.

4. Predict During the fall, the chlorophyll in the leaves of many plants starts to
break down. The colors of other pigments present in the leaf are revealed. How
do you think a chromatogram of a leaf that just turns red in the fall would
compare with your chromatogram of a leaf that is red all year?