To answer the followng questions, use the data in the Biomass Analysis Table.

1. Subtract the total solution used in the control funnel from the total solution added to your funnel. What does this value indicate? (row 7)

2. What does the value calculated for in row 2 indicate?

3. What does the value calculated in row 3 represent?

4. What does the value calculated in row 4 represent?

5. How efficient is wheat at converting light energy to plant material (biomass)? What does this value indicate?

1. Which color growth chamber did the plants appear to grow best in? Why do you think this color worked best?

2. What was the purpose of the colorless growth chamber? Why is it important to have the colorless growth chamber?

3. What happened to the plants in each of the colored chambers? Why did this happen?

4. What did sunlight look like through the spectroscope? Why does it look this way?

5. Compare sunlight viewed through the spectroscope with the blue filter to sunlight without the filter. Was there a difference? Why does this happen?

6. Compare sunlight viewed through the spectroscope with the red filter to sunlight without the filter. Was there a difference? Why does this happen?

7. Compare sunlight viewed through the spectroscope with the red filter to sunlight with the blue filter. Was there a difference? Why does this happen?

8. Based upon your observations, which wavelengths of light are better for the photosynthesis of green plants? Why do you think this?

1. On the very first day of observation was there much of a difference in the appearance between the two leaves?

2. What happened to the appearance of leaf A over time? Did leaf B look the same as leaf A? What happened?

3. Since the leaves are on the same plant, both leaves are receiving the same amount of nutrient and water. Since the petroleum jelly is transparent, both leaves are receiving the same wavelengths of light. What part of the photosynthetic process is missing from leaf A that leaf B is getting? Could this have caused any difference in the health of leaf A?

4. Why was it important to compare the “greasy leaf” with one that did not have anything done to it? What is this part of an experiment called?

1. What happened to the mass of the material in the composter as time progressed? Why did this occur?

2. What happened to the material in the composter as time went on?

3. What happened to the temperature of the material in the composter as time went on? Why did this occur?

4. Was there a change in the pH of the compost through the course of the experiment? Why do you thing this happened?

5. Using what you have learned about the Energy Pyramid and Food Webs, describe what was occuring in the composter. What trophic level was at work? What role do these organisms play in the EcoSystem? What would happen if these organisms were not around?

6. Many of the decomposers at work in this system are bacteria, which are microscopic. Aerobic bacteria use oxygen to break down food in much the same way our cells do, releasing heat as a waste product. Do you have any evidence of the activity of these decomposers? How might you gain an indication of the population growth of these organisms.