How would you design an experiment to determine if plants respire?

Be sure to explain how you would measure respiration and the controls you would include in the experimental design.

How would you design an experiment to determine if plants respire?
This experiment is super awesome! Take a clear test tube and place it in a clear tank. Submerge it completely so that the tube is 100% filled with water. Plants will produce oxygen out of pores in their leaves; thus, a plant in water will produce bubbles on the outside of its leaves if it is submerged in water. While both are completely in the water, hold, or place the test tube over the respiring leaf. As the bubbles build up, capture them inside the test tube. The oxygen produced will push out the water in the test tube to give you a measurment of how much O2 was obtained. This may take awhile and make sure that you have a hydrophilic/living leaf. Hope this helps and have fun ;)
Reply:Hmm...I think i did this in school.


Use some kind of underwater plant, can't remember what it was called.





Test tube 1: Add water and universal indicator. This is your light control.





Test Tube 2: Add plant, cover with water (pH 7), add indicator. This is to be kept in full sunlight.





Test tube 3: Same as test tube 1 but kept in the dark. This is the dark control.





Test tube 4 : Same as number 2 but kept in the dark.





If you keep the test tubes in light/dark for around 24 hours, the solution surrounding the plant in test tube 2 should turn red due to the creation of carbon dioxide which made the water slightly acidic. The rest should remain green, as no photosynthesis will occur without a plant (#1) or without sunlight (#3%26amp;4).





Hope this helped!