The Effects of Light on Oxygen Production in Algae Water

Abstract

Photosynthesis is used to convert light into energy, which is used to produce oxygen. We observed water quality by testing the amount of dissolved oxygen produced over time in samples containing algae from various locations across the state in different amounts of light. Our results demonstrated that in samples exposed to light, there was an upward trend in dissolved oxygen content, and in samples kept from light exposure, there was a slightly less dramatic, but still positive trend in dissolved oxygen content. Our results support our hypothesis because they demonstrated that the samples exposed to light produced more dissolved oxygen over time than the samples with no exposure to light, which is likely due to the ability for Photosynthesis to carryout both light-dependent reactions, Photosystem 1 & 2, light-independent reactions, and the Calvin Cycle.