Photosynthesis Lab Report

Photosynthesis is an important factor in life on Earth. Earth requires a constant input of energy from the Sun. As the molecules from the Sun are converted, energy in the form of photons are produced, passing to Earth. The ones with wavelengths within the visible light portion on the Electromagnetic spectrum are absorbed by pigments in the chloroplast of plants starting Photosynthesis. (2) Photosynthesis is the complex process by which carbon dioxide, water and certain inorganic salts are converted into carbohydrates. Photosynthesis is broken up into two processes. (2) First in the “light reactions” ATP is synthesized using light energy absorbed by chlorophyll and pigments while water is being broken apart into oxygen and hydrogen ions. (2) The electron of the hydrogen is transferred to NADPH. ATP and NADPH power the

After receiving the Chromatography report for the Spinach leaf as a group we calculated the Rf Values. The overall distance the solvent migrated was 9.5 cm. We then measured the distance each band migrated. The first band closest to the bottom was a yellowish-green color. The distance the band migrated was 1.2 cm, this means the Rf Value was 0.12. From this information we concluded the identification of this band is Chlorophyll b. The band above Chlorophyll b was a greenish-blue color. The distance traveled was around 2cm making the Rf Value 0.21 leaving us to believe it is Chlorophyll a. The next band was a solid yellow and thicker than all the other bands. The Calculated Rf Value for this band was 0.36 prompting us to name it the pigment Xanthophylls. The last band all the way at the top of the sheet was a thin orange line. It traveled much farther than all the other bands, leaving a big space. The Rf Value reached up to 0.94, the highest measurement. This made it very apparent that it was the pigment