Lab #: 1

Date: September 20, 2023

Title: Effect of temperature on capillary action
Aim: To investigate the effect of temperature on capillary action in celery stalks.
Apparatus and Materials: 5 Beakers, Measuring Cylinders, Tap Water, Food Colouring,
Celery,
Thermometer Knife, Hot Plate
Procedure:
1. Fresh celery was obtained and a branch was pulled out from the head. An inch was cut
off with the knife from the bottom of the celery branch.
2. 4 inches on the celery branch was measured and cut off. This was repeated four more
times.
3. 5 beakers were obtained and each was filled with 200ml of tap water.
4. Each beaker was labelled with water at different temperatures: room temperature,
freezer (10°C),
40°C, 50°C, and 60°C.
5. After all the beakers were at the correct temperature, 16 drops of food colouring was
added in each beaker and it was stirred for 10 seconds.
6. One celery stick was placed in each of the five beakers for 1 hour. After 1 hour each
celery stick was removed and placed in front of the beaker.
7. One by one, each celery stick was cut in half vertically right in the middle of one of the
“veins” of the celery stick. where the food colouring reached in the celery was measured
in centimetres.
8. The data was recorded in a table.
9. A graph was constructed which depicted the effect of temperature on capillary action.

Results:
Table Showing Temperature and Distance Travelled by Food Colouring

Temperature Distance travelled by food colouring (cm)

10℃ 5cm

30℃ 9.2cm

40℃ 10.5cm (Went all the way up the vessel)

 50℃ 3.4cm

60℃ 2.5cm

Graph:

Discussion:
Diffusion is the net movement of molecules from a region of higher concentration to a
region of lower concentration, resulting in an even distribution of the molecules involved.
Osmosis is the process by which water moves from a region of high water potential to a
region of lower water potential through a semi-permeable membrane. Osmosis is also
necessary for the movement of water up a xylem vessel because the movement of water
up the xylem is determined by the pressure difference between the top and bottom of the
vessel, when the water pressure at the top is lower than the water pressure at the bottom
then water will move upwards, the lignified walls of the xylem is conducive to this
movement because it prevents the xylem from collapsing despite the water tension
present in the lumen.
Movement through the vessels occurs by mass flow, all water molecules move together as
a single body of liquid. This can be observed in the results gathered from the experiment
however the experiment also proves that the movement of water up the xylem vessel is
affected by temperature. At the lowest temperature (10°C) the liquid only moved 5cm up
the vessel, at 30°C the liquid moved 9.2cm up the vessel and it went all the way up the
vessel when the temperature was 40°C but the higher temperatures (50°C and 60°C)
proved that temperature is not directly proportional to capillary action within the celery
stalks and as such there must be a reason why 40°C is seemingly the optimal temperature
but not 50°C or 60°C. It's probable that as the temperature rises, the intermolecular forces
weaken, leading to a decrease in the surface tension of the liquid. This decrease can
facilitate the flow of the liquid through the capillary tube. However, if the temperature
becomes excessively high, it could potentially harm the xylem vessels which will
ultimatley reduce capillary action.
Precautions:
Wear protective gear to avoid stain/dye on garment.

Avoid contact with hot plate because of the temperature.

Limitation:
Differences in vein thickness or density could lead to inconsistencies in observed
capillary action at different temperatures.

Souurce of Error:
The fluctuation in temperature may have affected the celery capillary.

Length of all the celery stalks may not have been even.

There wasn’t a proper dropper and as such it was harder to ensure even amounts of food
colouring was added to the respective beakers.
Limiting factors are important factors that can limit the rate of photosynthesis, these
include carbon dioxide concentration, light intensity and temperature.
Within this photosynthesis experiment a limiting factor was light intensity which came
from the lamps used. To observe the effects of photosynthesis however the plant had to
have been cut, when the plant gets cut it will allow us to see the oxygen bubbles which
indicates that photosynthesis has occurred because oxygen is a waste product. Carbon
dioxide is also needed for photosynthesis which is why the sodium bicarbonate was
added, normally plants would absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere however in this
experiment the plant was suspended under water and as a result the sodium bicarbonate
solution was needed so that the plant could absorb carbon dioxide. The results of the lab
are affected by the light intensity at each table, for table 1 the meniscus moved
50millimetres and the power of light was 60 watts
And for table 2 the meniscus moved 0mm and the power of light was 13 watts. The result
in table one is caused by the light intensity, it is proven that higher light intensity leads to
a increased rate of photosynthesis (except when there is light saturation and light no
longer becomes a factor) and as such this is a very straight forward result. At table 2 the
meniscus moved 0 millimetres, this implies that no photosynthesis took place within the
time allotted and is likely because the light intensity was not high enough.

Precautions:

1. Ensure to not shake the table on which the apparatus is placed

2. Meniscus must be viewed at eye level

Source of Error:
1. Small disturbances to the beaker throughout the course of completing the
experiment
2. Air bubbles in the test tube
Limitations:

1. Light from external sources/ Interferance of natural light

2. The experiment may not accurately represent real-world conditions of

photosynthesis due to the artificial and controlled environment created in the lab.

Conclusion:

This experiment on aquarium plants concluded that light intensity is a limiting factor that
regulates the process of photosynthesis. The findings suggest that light is crucial in
determining the photosynthetic rate of aquarium plants and can help optimize the
conditions for growing them in artificial environments.
Lab #7
Skills: AI,ORR,MM
Date:
Title: Anaerobic Respiration
Aim: To determine the rate of fermentation changes as a function of sugar concentration
Apparatus and materials:

Test tubes
Test tube rack
Dropper
Graduated cylinders
2% sucrose solution
Dry yeast
NaOH
Bromythol Blue indicator

Procedure
Procedure A-Preparation of yeast suspension and yeast mixture
a. Yeast suspension - 1g of dry yeast was added to 10 ml of warm water (30-40 C). It was left idly for 5
minutes to become active.
b. Yeast mixture - 250 ml of water, 2ml of bromthymol blue indicator, 10 ml of
yeast suspension and 2 ml of NaOH was added, more NaOH was added until the solution was royal blue.
Procedure B
1 6 test tubes were obtained and labeled 1-6.
2. 5ml of yeast mixture was added to each test tube
3. 2 drops of sugar solution was added to test tube #2.
4. The test tube was shook vigorously to mix the contents and the starting time was recorded

5. The mixture was shook every 2 minutes and observations were made for change in colour.
Colour comparisons were made between test tubes #2 and #1.

6. The ending time of the reaction was recorded. (when the colour turned green)
7. Steps 3 to 6 were repeated for the remaining test tubes. multiples of 2 were added to test tubes 3-6.
(for example, test tube #3= 4 drops).
8. Results were recorded in the table below

9. A graph showing the rate of fermentation for each test tube in the group and
class average data was constructed.
Results

Test tube no. No. of drops Start time End time Group data - Class Averages
Time(min) for End time for
color to color to
change to change to
green green

1 0 N/A N/A N/A

2 2 2:32 3:18 46

3 4 2:33 3:17 44

4 6 2:34 3:11 37

5 8 2:34 3:11 37

6 10 2:35 3:02 27

Discussion
Fermentation is a type of cellular respiration found in some unicellular and multicellular organisms which
do not require oxygen i.e. they perform anaerobic respiration and this results in the production of ethanol
from glucose and a small amount of energy. Yeast fermentation is a vital bio-chemical process and is very
beneficial to our modern day economy, it is important because it facilitates industrial alcohol production
by metabolizing carbohydrate molecules without oxygen which results in the production of ethanol and
carbon dioxide molecules. Yeast is also used during the manufacturing of bread as a leavening agent.
A hypothesis that explains the results of the experiment is that sucrose increases the rate of fermentation
by yeast, possibly because the yeast can metabolize this sucrose resulting in production of more ethanol
and carbon dioxide.

Test tube #1 served as the control variable within the experiment because no sucrose was added. This
control variable was a necessity for understanding the results of the experiment because it can be used as
reference and for comparison when analyzing the results of the other test tubes. It’s main purpose is to
highlight how sucrose impacts yeast fermentation by showing what happens when sucrose isnt present.

Based on the data displayed on the graph, it is evident that the speed of the fermentation process is
directly proportional to the sucrose levels. This can be deduced from the observation that the time taken
for the endpoint to occur decreases as more drops of sucrose are added. This belief is substantiated by the
fact that the highest fermentation rate was achieved at a sucrose concentration of 10 drops.

Yeast produces flavour compounds as by products during fermentation, it also releases esters, acetic and
lactic acid.

Sources of error:
1. Contamination by microorganisms or bacteria can impact yeast metabolism and fermentation.

1. Changes in temperature during the experiment can impact the rate of yeast fermentation.

Limitations:
The experiment lacked any control over the selection of yeast strain utilized, which could potentially
result in varied fermentation rates and thus affect the outcome of the experiment.

Conclusion: From this experiment it can be concluded that sucrose concentration leads to higher levels of
fermentation. This is supported by the graph that was deawn and times taken for the end points

Criteria for Observation Recording Reporting Marks

Observation - Diagram of apparatus neatly drawn 1

-Graph scale is adequate and accurate

- Graph is present with accurate plots. 1

- Graph and table are drawn using pencil and have correct titles 1
and labels.
1
- The information in the results is represented using correct units
on the graph and in the table 1

-The Graph and Table information are relevant to the aim of the 1
lab

Recording -Unexpected and Expected results are accounted for it in the 1

interpretation section

-Accurate, adequate and relevant details are recorded under each 1

subsection (e.g. aim apparatus, conclusion e.tc.) of the lab report

- Steps taken to minimized observational errors are recorded in the 1

procedure
Reporting

(communication - Each section of the report (e.g. procedure) is described in logical 1

skills) sequence.

- Report is written in past tense 1

- Each section of the report is in appropriate paragraphs 1

Total _____/12=

Analysis and Interpretation for yeast lab Marks

Present Scientific 1. - Formulate and explain a hypothesis for this experiment. 1

concept
2. Identify the control and give its purpose.

3. Outline the economic importance of fermentation by yeast. 1

Explain the ● From the graph, explain any evidence that the sucrose 2
results concentration affects the rate of fermentation in yeast.

● Using both group and class data, determine what sucrose

concentration gave the highest rate of fermentation. 1

● What other product is being produced in yeast?

1

Limitation and -Provide at least 2 source of errors 1

conclusion
-Provide at least one limitation 1

- Provide an appropriate concluding statement with sufficient 2

supporting factual information to justify the hypothesis

Total ____/12
LAB # 12
Date: February 28, 2024
Title: Planning and designing- hormonal action
Aim: To determine how ethylene impacts the rate at which a fruit spoils
Problem statement: A farmer finds that tomatoes spoil faster when packed with ripe banana. Plan and
design an experiment to investigate fruit ripening caused by the plant hormone ethylene.

Hypothesis: Tomatoes will spoil faster when packed with ripe banana because ripe banana releases
ethylene gas which is a plant hormone that induces/speeds up the ripening process of many fruits and
because ethylene accelerates development in fruits the tomatoes will spoil faster due to the excess that is
released by the ripe bananas.

Materials and Apparatus:

● 3 fruit containers
● 3 tomatoes
● Timer
● Notebook
● 6 ripe bananas
● 6 unripe bananas

Variables:
Controlled: Size of the fruit containers
Responding: Rate at which the tomatoes spoil
Manipulated: Bananas

Method:
● Step 1: Label fruit containers A, B and C
● Step 2: Place 6 ripe Bananas and one tomato in container A
● Step 3: Place 6 unripe Bananas and one tomato in container B
● Step 4: Place a single tomato in container C
● Step 5: Observe and take note of the current physical state of each tomato: Shape, turgidity,
colour, smell etc.
● Step 6: Set a timer for 4 hours and repeat step 5 until all tomates are spoiled
● Step 7 : Record results

Results:
Expected results: It is expected that the tomato in container A will spoil in a shorter amount of time than
the tomatoes in container B and C

Treatment of Results:
Container A

Time (hrs ) Observation

0 (initial observation)

12

16

20

24

Container B

Time (hrs) Observation

12

16

20

24

Container C
 Time (hrs) Observation

12

16

20

24

Precautions: Ensure that all tomatoes are gathered from the same source and at the same time, this reduces
the chance that the tomato spoils faster due to external factors.

Ensure that all fruit containers are sanitized, this guarantees that spoilage will not occur as a result of
interference from bacteria.