Determining the Relative Absor
Light energy drives photosynthesis in plants. For light energy to be useful, it must be able to be absorbed by the photosynthetic pigments that are present in the chloroplasts. The pigments in the chloroplasts, chlorophylls a and b, xanthophylls, and carotenes, each absorb different wavelengths of light. The small range of electromagnetic waves, light, that can be seen by the human eye lies between 380nm and 750nm. Each wavelength between 380nm and 750nm corresponds to a color that can be seen by the human eye, but since color is a subjective value wavelength is used to report scientific findings. When looking at an apple, we see the color red. We see red because it is reflected, meaning that the pigments in the apple do not absorb the wavelengths that correspond to the color red, but instead the wavelengths “bounce” off them. The purpose of this experiment was to find and graph the absorption spectrum, the pattern formed by the specific wavelengths of light absorbed by a given pigment, for carotene. Our hypothesis is, the carotene solution will have a weak or no absorption value for the wavelengths that correspond to orange and red light, approximately 750nm-650nm.
Some topics in this essay:
Materials Methods, Carotene Xanthophyll, Introduction Light, ABSTRACT Plants, Carotene GRAPH, absorption value, carotene solution, absorption values, light energy, photosynthetic pigments, value measured, absorption spectrum, orange red, wavelengths light, wavelengths correspond, absorption value measured, value carotene solution, absorption value carotene, pigments chlorophyll xanthophyll, absorption values found,
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Approximate Word count = 809
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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