INTRODUCTION Statement of the Problem

This experiment has its purpose of answering the problem, How does different light wavelength affects the photosynthesis rate? Background of the Information Photosynthesis is a biological process that uses solar energy in the form of light to transform into chemical energy. (27) Campbell, light is a form of energy called electromagnetic radiation (electromagnetic spectrum) which travels in waves. These waves has a property called wavelengths, the distance from one crest to another crest. The electromagnetic spectrum has different ranges of wavelengths. Gamma rays has less than a nanometer followed by x-rays, UV rays, visible light, infrared, microwaves and radiowaves, with more than a kilometer of wavelength. But the most essential to life and the one that can be perceived by the human eye is the visible light. Though, the sun radiates the full electromagnetic spectrum, only about 42% of the radiation passes through the Earths atmosphere which is in the range of the visible light, and therefore visible light is the light used for photosynthesis. All wavelengths of visble light is mixed in white light. So when white light passes thrpugh a prism, it can be divided into its componenents of different wavelentghts that corresponds to different colors. 21 These wavelengths are absorbed by molecules called pigment. In driving photosyntheses, chloroplasts (where photosynthesis occurs) contains different pigments. Theses are chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b which absorbs blue and red light, carotenoid which absorbs blue and green light and phycobilins which absorbs green and yellow wavelengths. Therefore, all wavelengths can drive photosynthesis since all wavelength can be absorbed by these pigments. Derivation of hypothesis

25 The light comes in discrete packets of energy called photons. 27 The energy contained in photons is inversely proportional to the wavelength. So the blue with the shortest wavelength has the highest energy content and the red with the longest wavelength has the least energy content. The energy contained in the vible light are enough to excite electrons and drive photosynthesis. The more energy absorbed, the faster the rate of photo because the electrons will be in their excited state faster. Though the wavelength determines the amount of energy, there is another factor to be considered which is the absorption of the wavelength by the pigments. It is stated by 21 that chlorophyll a and b absorbs most of the blue and red light and, so we can conclude that the rate pf photosynthes is highest in blue, followed by the red even though is has the least energy content since it is highly absorbed by the two chlorophylls, then followed by the green that is only absorbed by the accessory pigment carotenoids. D. Statement of Hypothesis Ho: If different wavelengths affect the photosynthesis rate, then different colors will drive photosynthesis at different rates. If different wavelengths do not affect the photosynthesis rate, then different colors will drive photosynthesis at the same rates. E. Objectives This experiment aims to determine if different wavelengths (colors) affect the rate of photosynthesis. Particularly, its goals are: 1. To determine which wavelength drives the photosynthesis, from fastest to lowest 2. To identify if the absorption of the wavelength is a factor in the photosynthesis rate.