Title: Photosynthesis
Date: _________
Skills: MM
Aim: To investigate the presence of starch in green leaf
Apparatus: Small green leaf, Water, Test tube (__), Ethanol, Beaker (__), Petri dish (__), Iodine,
forceps, timer
Method:
1. Take a small fresh green leaf from a suitable dicotyledonous leaf.
2. Dip the leaf into boiling water for about ten seconds.
3. Put the leaf into a test tube no more than one-third full of ethanol (alcohol).
4. Place the test tube into the beaker of boiling water.
5. When the leaf appears colourless, remove the leaf and rinse it in water.
6. Lay the leaf in a petri dish and pour a little iodine solution over it. Leave the leaf for several
minutes.
7. Using forceps, rinse the leaf in water. Observe the colour of the leaf.
8. Copy and complete the table below. Record observations.
Results:
Leaf before
Leaf after
Discussion:
1. Define the term “photosynthesis”.
2. What effect did the boiling water have on the leaf?
3. What happened when the leaf was boiled in alcohol? What did the alcohol removed from
the leaf?
4. Why was the leaf the rinsed in water?
5. What was the colour of the leaf at the end of the experiment?
6. What do you conclude about the original green leaf?
Conclusion:
Reflection: