Describe5 marksChallenge
In an investigation, students placed a sprig of Elodea in a beaker of water containing 0.05% sodium hydrogen carbonate solution. They measured the rate of photosynthesis by counting the number of oxygen bubbles released per minute at different distances from a lamp (varying light intensity). The temperature was kept constant at 20 °C. Their results are shown:
| Distance from lamp (cm) | Bubbles per minute |
|---|---|
| 50 | 5 |
| 40 | 10 |
| 30 | 18 |
| 20 | 25 |
| 10 | 30 |
| 5 | 30 |
Describe the effect of increasing light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis and explain why the rate levels off despite the further increase in light intensity.