Spinach Disk Lab

Visual Instructions

Spinach Disk Lab

Materials:Goggles150 ml BeakerSpinachSyringeHole Punch

Sodium Bicarbonate WaterLight Source

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 1:

Pour 100ml of Sodium Bicarbonate Water into your 150ml Beaker

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 1:

Pour 100ml of Sodium Bicarbonate Water into your 150ml Beaker

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 2:

Use the hole punch to punch out 15 disks from the spinach leaf. Try to avoid the larger veins in the leaf.

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 2:

Use the hole punch to punch out 15 disks from the spinach leaf. Try to avoid the larger veins in the leaf.

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 3:

Carefully place the spinach disks into the syringe and gently push the plunger down close to the bottom.

Do Not Crush Your Disks.

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 3:

Carefully place the spinach disks into the syringe and gently push the plunger down close to the bottom.

Do Not Crush Your Disks.

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 3:

Carefully place the spinach disks into the syringe and gently push the plunger down close to the bottom.

Do Not Crush Your Disks.

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 4:

Place your syringe into the Sodium Bicarbonate Water in your beaker and draw up 10ml of the liquid

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 4:

Place your syringe into the Sodium Bicarbonate Water in your beaker and draw up 10ml of the liquid

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 5:

Turn your syringe over and gently push the plunger up to force out any air in the syringe. Do not squirt the water out of the syringe.

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 5:

Turn your syringe over and gently push the plunger up to force out any air in the syringe. Do not squirt the water out of the syringe.

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 6:

If you haven’t watched the video yet, now is a good time.

Cover the end of the syringe with your finger

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 7:

Keep your finger on the top of the syringe. Pull the plunger down, this will form a vacuum in the syringe, you will see lots of bubbles.Push the plunger up to pressurize the syringe and make the bubbles disappear.

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 8:

Repeat the process of pulling and pushing on the plunger until all the spinach disks sink.

The video shows this process very clearly!

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 9:

Place the base of the syringe over the beaker and carefully remove the plunger from the syringe. This will cause the liquid and the spinach disks to fall into the beaker

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 9:

Place the base of the syringe over the beaker and carefully remove the plunger from the syringe. This will cause the liquid and the spinach disks to fall into the beaker

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 10:

Check that the disks have sunken to the bottom. Remove any disk that is still floating

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 11a:

To keep the temperature of the water constant, you will need to add a heat sink to the top of your beaker.

Fill a petri dish with water and place on top of the beaker before placing the beaker under the lamp.

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 11b:

Place the beaker under a lamp set at 15cm above the table. (these are at the back of the room)Using a watch or stopwatch, time how long it takes for 6 of the disks to rise to the surface.The disks will rise because of the formation of Oxygen during photosynthesis

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 11:

Place the beaker under a lamp set at 15cm above the table. (these are at the back of the room)Using a watch or stopwatch, time how long it takes for 6 of the disks to rise to the surface.The disks will rise because of the formation of Oxygen during photosynthesis

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 11:

Place the beaker under a lamp set at 15cm above the table. (these are at the back of the room)Using a watch or stopwatch, time how long it takes for 6 of the disks to rise to the surface.The disks will rise because of the formation of Oxygen during photosynthesis

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 11:

Place the beaker under a lamp set at 15cm above the table. (these are at the back of the room)Using a watch or stopwatch, time how long it takes for 6 of the disks to rise to the surface.The disks will rise because of the formation of Oxygen during photosynthesis

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 11:

Place the beaker under a lamp set at 15cm above the table. (these are at the back of the room)Using a watch or stopwatch, time how long it takes for 6 of the disks to rise to the surface.The disks will rise because of the formation of Oxygen during photosynthesis

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 11:

Place the beaker under a lamp set at 15cm above the table. (these are at the back of the room)Using a watch or stopwatch, time how long it takes for 6 of the disks to rise to the surface.The disks will rise because of the formation of Oxygen during photosynthesis

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 12:

When 6 disks have floated to the surface, record the time it took on your Photosynthesis Lab Observations Page

Spinach Disk Lab

Step 13:

Remove the disks from the liquid, throw them away and repeat steps 2-12. On this trial, place the beaker under a lamp that is set at 30cm above the table.