Exploring the Effects of Various Wavelengths of Light on Plant Growth Rate

Abstract

In this experiment we set about answering the question of what growing conditions can yield the greatest amount of carbohydrates, so that the amount of plastic that can be made from a given plant is maximized. To help determine this we decided to test how various wavelengths of light affect plant growth when the plants are exposed to just one color while it grows. Our hypothesis is that green plants will grow better in virtually every other wavelength than green, because green is not being absorbed by the green plant; this is evidenced by the fact that the plant itself appears green. We set about answering this question by growing plants over the course of 21 days, with our plants in three groups. Each group was placed under a different wavelength of light. We measured six different properties of the plants twice a week over the course of the 21 days; height, number of nodes, number of leaves, stem diameter, length of the first leaf, and width of the first leaf. The implication of our study is that urban plant growers using artificial light can maximize their plant yield, and thus make the maximum amount of plastics from a given plant.