Ap Biology Photosynthetic Organism Free Response Essays

Ap Biology Photosynthetic Organism Free Response Essays Ap Biology Photosynthetic Organism Free Response Essay Ap Biology Photosynthetic Organism Free Response Essay The rate of photosynthesis may vary with changes that occur in environmental temperature, wavelength of light, and light intensity. Using a photosynthetic organism of your choice, choose only ONE of the three variables (temperature, wavelength of light, or light intensity) and for this variable. Design a scientific experiment to determine the effect of the variable on the rate of photosynthesis for the organism Explain how you would measure the rate of photosynthesis in your experiment Describe the results you would expect. Explain why you would expect these results. The rate of photosynthesis is affected by environmental factors like light intensity, light wavelength, and temperature. This experiment will test the effect of light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis in a plant called Elodea. Elodea is an easy plant to use for this experiment because it is cheap, abundant, and easy to take care of. This photosynthetic organism needs to be kept in an aerated freshwater tank. To do this experiment, put the Elodea in a beaker of freshwater. Anchor the Elodea using a small weight like a paperclip so that the plant remains in the same position and up right through the entire experiment. Place the beaker of water containing the Elodea in front of a light bulb. In between the beaker and the light bulb, there should be a separate beaker of water that is used to absorb any heat produced by the light. This way the experiment will not be affected by another environmental factor, temperature. Every thirty seconds for five minutes, count the number of bubbles given off by the Elodea. After the first five minutes, move the beaker containing the Elodea about ten centimeters back and let it stand for two minutes so that it can adjust to the new intensity of the light. Count the bubbles released every thirty seconds for five minutes. Move the Elodea back ten more centimeters, let it adjust for two more minutes, then count the number of bubbles released again every thirty seconds for five more minutes. The same piece of Elodea must be used throughout the experiment in order to eliminate any natural reasons why one piece might photosynthesize faster than another (for example, one piece might have more leaves to enhance the amount of light absorbed at a time). The rate of photosynthesis can be determined different ways. Because oxygen is a product of photosynthesis and the Elodea plant is submerged in water, the oxygen is released in bubbles that rise to the surface of the water in the beaker. In this experiment, the rate of photosynthesis for each degree of light intensity can be measured by counting the number of bubbles released every 30 seconds for five minutes at each distance. The rate is the number of bubbles released per minute. Organisms that use the process of photosynthesis to create sugar to use for energy have a greater rate of photosynthesis when the intensity of the light source is the greatest. If light is far away from the leaves of a plant, for example, then it takes more time for the light to be absorbed and used in photosynthesis. When it takes more time for the light to reach the leaves, the rate of photosynthesis decreases. As the light intensity increases, I would expect the rate of photosynthesis to increase as well. Therefore, I would expect that when the Elodea is closest to the light bulb, the rate of photosynthesis would be the greatest. My hypothesis would be: If light intensity affects the rate of photosynthesis, and the rate of photosynthesis is measured using the amount of oxygen given off by Elodea with a light bulbs placed at different distances, then the rate of photosynthesis in Elodea will be greatest when the intensity of the light bulb is greatest.

Formal vs. Informal English (Why and When Grammar Matters)

Formal vs. Informal English (Why and When Grammar Matters) Formal vs. Informal English (Why and When Grammar Matters) Lately, there’s been a lot of debate about whether correcting people’s grammar makes you a snob (or, in the words of one commentator, â€Å"patronizing, pretentious and just plain wrong†). As proofreaders, this puts us in a difficult position: On the one hand, we don’t want to be â€Å"patronizing, pretentious and just plain wrong.† On the other hand, we’re basically professional pedants, using our knowledge of English to help people communicate. Please dont call us grammar Nazis, by the way. Were very much against fascism, even the grammatical kind. Perhaps the real question is when it’s appropriate to insist on particular grammatical standards. First, though, we should consider the difference between formal and informal English. Formal English Formal English sticks to the prescribed rules of spelling and grammar. This is far more common in writing than speech, especially academic writing and in professional settings. In this kind of English, it’s typical to: Use conventional grammar and spelling Avoid contractions (e.g., â€Å"don’t† or â€Å"should’ve†) and slang Use academic or technical language Always use complete sentences, as well as longer or more complex sentences Require consistent use of terminology/punctuation This kind of writing can seem â€Å"snobby,† especially if the author uses very obscure words or complicated sentences. But a good writer will use formal English to ensure clarity and precision. The advantage of formal English is that it helps people in a particular field or subject area to communicate by providing a standard style of writing. This is why colleges use academic English, but being able to use formal language is valuable elsewhere, too. The important thing is knowing when to use formal English: e.g. at work, in college papers, when communicating with authority figures, etc. Its also useful for talking with the Queen of England. Admittedly, this isnt a daily issue for most people. Informal English Informal English essentially refers to forms of written or spoken English that don’t stick closely to conventional spelling and grammar or that use a lot of slang and informal words. This is the kind of everyday language we use when talking with friends or emailing someone we know well. There is, obviously enough, no standard form of informal English, since it simply refers to non-standard English, which can even encompass â€Å"txtspk†! Theres no such thing as formal txtspk. So far. Does Grammar Really Matter? When using formal English, yes, grammar and spelling are important. It’s not that formal English is inherently â€Å"better† regardless of the circumstances; it’s simply that using formal English in professional or academic settings aids communication and clarity. By comparison, mistakes like mixing up â€Å"their† and â€Å"they’re† in a college paper could imply a lack of care or attention, even if the reader can tell what you intended. However, if you’re just hanging out with friends and you feel an urge to tell someone off for splitting an infinitive, it could seem insulting or annoying to the person you’re correcting. Thus, if grammar matters more to you than your friends, feel free to be as pedantic as you like. Otherwise, it might be best to save formal English for when it really counts. If you already carry a red pen for correcting mistakes wherever you go, you might want to try a career in proofreading.