Plants use Photosynthesis to create food from sunlight and carbon dioxide. This reaction occurs because of the chlorophyll within plants, and is what gives them their green color. This experiment will answer twos question: Why are plants green? Why do plants need sunlight to remain green?
These are the materials needed to see how important sunlight is to leaves:
-Plant with broad leaves (may be inside or outside)
-Black construction paper
-Transparent material (such as a plastic bag)
-Scissors ADULT NEEDED
-Tape
Methods:
Cut a piece of
black construction paper large enough to cover a broad
leaf. HAVE AN ADULT HELP
YOU!
Now wrap the construction paper around the leaf and use the
tape to secure it.
Wait at least a week before removing the construction paper
from the leaf. When the experiment is finished compare your
leaf to the other leaves on the plant. You should be able
to see a distinct difference between the leaves.
The leaf that had been under the cover of the construction
paper should have begun to lose its green color and wilt.
This is because the leaf is unable to continue to make food
with out the help of sunlight. Below are another set of
pictures using a very different plant then the one above.
Plants grown without any light at all will be pale and
spindly; botanists call these plants etiolated. You have
probably seen similar etiolated plants when onions or
potatoes sprout in your pantry or refrigerator.
