Bright Lights, Bigger Algae?: The Changes in Algae Growth Under Different Colored Light

Abstract

Photosynthesis is a vital process amongst plants, it allows the plant to grow, produce energy and help us breathe.  In order for photosynthesis to occur it requires some form of light, typically sunlight but also artificial. In this study we wanted to see if the color of light would affect the rate of photosynthesis. In order to test this theory we put three algae samples from the same water source in white, purple and green colored lights and then tested their dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. The white light resulted with the highest levels, supporting our hypothesis that it would have the densest algae growth based on the dissolved oxygen.