Red, White, or Blue: Which color is right for you? Algae Growth under Different Colors of Light

Abstract

We studied the affect red, white, and blue light has on the growth rate of algae. We hypothesized that the sample under blue light would grow faster than the sample in the red light because blue light occurs at a higher frequency on the visible light spectrum.  We placed one falcon tube under each of the colors of light, and the control group was placed under the white light and measured the growth each week using a dissolved oxygen probe. By comparing the data using Excel we were able to determine which group had a bigger growth rate. Our results show that algae grows the best under white light and more in blue light than red light. Therefore, our hypothesis is partially supported because the growth rate was higher under the blue light in comparison to the red group; however, the algae under the control condition experienced the most growth. The results of this experiment are useful to biofuel producers because they could use white light to increase the growth rate of algae, which in turn produces more biofuel.