When investigate if chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis why is the leaf rinse with tap water?
When investigating if chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis, the leaf is rinsed with tap water to remove any external substances on the leaf's surface that might interfere with the experiment. Here's how you can perform this experiment and understand the reason behind rinsing the leaf with tap water:
1. Obtain two leaves from the same plant. It is important to choose healthy leaves with similar sizes and shapes for accurate comparisons.
2. Label one leaf as the experimental leaf and the other leaf as the control leaf.
3. Begin by rinsing the experimental leaf with tap water. This step ensures that any dust, dirt, or pollutants present on the leaf's surface are removed. These external substances can potentially interfere with the experiment, leading to inaccurate results.
4. After rinsing, you can proceed with the actual experiment. One way to do this is to cover a portion of both leaves with tin foil or opaque material, except for a small area in the middle. This covered portion will prevent sunlight from reaching the chlorophyll in that area.
5. Place both leaves in a well-lit area, preferably under direct sunlight.
6. Observe and document any changes in the covered area of both leaves over a period of several days. The control leaf, which has not been rinsed or altered in any way, will serve as a comparison to the experimental leaf.
By rinsing the leaf with tap water before the experiment, you ensure that the only significant difference between the control and the experimental leaf is the absence of chlorophyll in the experimental leaf's covered area. This means that any differences in the photosynthesis process observed between the two leaves can be attributed to the presence or absence of chlorophyll.
Remember to analyze and interpret the results of your experiment to draw conclusions regarding the necessity of chlorophyll for photosynthesis.