Transpiration Lab Report

Instructions: In this lab activity, you may investigate one of many scientific questions related to
transpiration, plant adaptation, and the effects of environmental factors on plant behavior. Once
you have selected your scientific question, you will design an investigation to test it, collect and
analyze data, and form a conclusion. Submit your lab report to your instructor when completed.

Title: The effects of the environment on transpiration in plants.

Objective(s):

To examine how the environment affects transpiration in plants.

Listed below are possible questions you could investigate related to transpiration, plant
adaptation, or the effects of environmental factors on plant behavior. You may select from one of
these questions or create your own. Once you determine your investigative question, create your
related objectives in this section.

 Do all plants respire at the same rate?

 What environmental factors can affect the rate of transpiration?
 Is transpiration rate related to the number of stomata on leaves?
 Do structural differences of plants affect their rate of transpiration?
 Does the solute concentration of water absorbed by the plant affect transpiration?

*Environmental factors can be wind, light versus dark, or temperature but are not limited to these options.

Hypothesis: If light is shined at the plant for 24 hours, then the transpiration will increase,
because it triggers the stomata on leaves to release water vapor.

Lab Safety:

 Wash your hands before and after handling lab materials.

 It is important to always protect your eyes during lab activities. Wear protective goggles
whenever possible.
 When working at the kitchen counter or table, be sure to protect the workspace from
spills and clean up any splashes or spills immediately.
 All materials in this lab activity are safe to dispose of in the garbage (solids) and down
the drain (liquids only).

Procedure:

The summary of steps for this section depend on the question you would like to investigate. A
common way to test the rate of transpiration is by the “whole plant method.” The general steps
for this method are below. You will need to modify and add to these steps based on your
investigation. You are responsible for creating and recording all procedures you plan to
follow.

Suggested Materials:

Small potted plants with lots of leaves and no/few flowers

One-gallon plastic food storage bags w/out zip-lock

Fan, heat lamp, salt (if testing environmental factors)

String

Water

Whole Plant Method Summary of Steps

1. Saturate each plant with water (or your solution if you are testing the effects of
solute concentration) the day before beginning your investigation.
2. Don’t forget to include a control, a plant that is not subjected to your experimental
variable.
3. Do not water your plant again until after you have finished your experiment.
4. For each plant, remove the roots with surrounding soil (keeping both intact) and
wrap it in a plastic bag.
5. Tie the top of the bag around the base of the stem so only the leaves are exposed.
6. Place each plant base (wrapped in plastic) back into its pot.
7. Be sure to remove any flowers from your plant.
8. Determine the initial weight of each plant using a kitchen or bathroom scale. (Be
sure to note the unit of measurement in your data and graph later.)
9. Weigh your plants each day at the same time for four days. (Be sure your plants
are under your selected environmental condition if you are testing environmental
factors).
10. Modify these steps based on your investigative question.

Variables:

List and explain your controlled variables, independent variable, and dependent variable for your
investigation.

Remember, controlled variables are factors that remain the same throughout the experiment. An
independent (test) variable changes so that the experimenter can see the effect on other variables.
The dependent (outcome) variable will change in response to the test variable.

Controlled variables: Time measured, amount of water, scale used

 Independent variable: light on the plant

Dependent variable: Mass of plants (g)

Data:

Complete the table to organize the data you have collected in this investigation. Don’t forget to
record measurements with the correct number of significant figures.

Day 0 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Difference Percent

Change in
mass
Plant #1 203.12g 189.02g 167.13g 150.42g 135.34g -67.78 -33%
Control
Plant #2 272.33g 234g 210.71g 185.9g 171.12g -101.21 -37.16
24 hr
Light

Graph:
Graph the change in your independent variable (x-axis) to the change in your dependent variable
(y axis).

Conclusion:

Changing the light the plant received caused it to transpire wat a faster rate by –4.16%. My
graphical data supports my conclusion by showing it fell at a bigger rate than the control. My
data all supported my hypothesis. A source of error could have been the lack of trials and the fact
the control plant starts with a smaller mass than the tested plant.

Lab Reflection Questions

Answer the reflection questions, using what you have learned from the lesson and your
experimental data. It will be helpful to refer to your class notes. Answer questions in complete
sentences.

1. What type of solution (isotonic, hypertonic, or hypotonic) do you think could have the
greatest negative effect on transpiration and why? (If you tested solute concentrations in
plants, use your results to support your answer.)
The hypertonic solutions could have the greatest negative effect because they exert water
outward.
2. What structural plant adaptations could affect the rate of transpiration? (If you tested
structural differences in plants, use your results to support your answer.)
The size of the stomata on the leaves could've decreased or increased the rate of
transpiration. The thickness of the leaves could also change the rate of change. If the
stomata are bigger, the water will flow more and the thicker the leaves, the water will
flow less.
3. Is it possible to predict which of your tested plants may have more stomata per mm2 than
the others? Why or why or not?
Yes and no. Technically you can know the stomata per mm^2 by the species, but based on our
data, no; the stomata can’t be analyzed by transpiration due to the different environments there
in.
4. Describe the properties of water that influenced your investigation and how this was
reflected in your results. (Properties of water can include, but are not limited to, water
potential, adhesion, cohesion, and surface tension.)
Adhesion and cohesion affect how water interacts with other water molecules and other
molecules like other plants. Water potential affects transpiration because it is the ability for water
molecules to move from one area to another.
5. Students testing the effects of solute concentration in soil on plant transpiration noticed a
significant decrease in transpiration when abscisic acid was used as the solute. Even at
molar concentrations less than 0.2 M, transpiration seemed to stop almost completely.

a) Make a claim as to which structural and/or physiological component of

transpiration is affected by the presence of abscisic acid.
Abscisic acid causes the stomata to close.

b) Explain the reasoning that supports your claim.

Abscisic acid signals guard cells to close the stomata to reduce wilting but aso
prohibits photosynthesis.