You are conducting an experiment to examine the effect that light has on plant growth. During this experiment, you grow the same type of plant under 4 different types of light with one plant receiving no light as a control. Each plant started out as a seedling less than an inch in length. Below are the results of your experiment after 18 weeks.

Question

You are conducting an experiment to examine the effect that light has on plant growth. During this experiment, you grow the same type of plant under 4 different types of light with one plant receiving no light as a control. Each plant started out as a seedling less than an inch in length. Below are the results of your experiment after 18 weeks.

No Light: 1in
White Light: 22in
Blue Light: 13in
Green Light: 2in
Red Light: 18in

Upon examination, you realize that the plant you grew under the green light is barely taller than the plant grown under no light. In 3 to 4 sentences, explain why the plant grown under green light grew less than the plants grown under white, red, or blue light.

To receive full credit for this item, your response must:
Have the minimum number of sentences. (1pt.)

Accurately explain why the plant did not grow well under the green light. Use the words reflect and absorb in your response. You will lose a point if both words are not in your answer (3pt.)

Answer 1

The plant grown under green light grew less than the plants grown under white, red, or blue light because green light is not effectively absorbed by plants for photosynthesis. This is because plants reflect green light rather than absorb it for energy production. The lack of absorption of green light hindered the plant's growth, resulting in its short height compared to the other plants grown under different types of light.