Photosynthesis 3D Lab

Photosynthesis 3D Lab is an interactive 3D model of a plant in a soil cross-section. Students orbit and zoom the scene, set the amount of light, carbon dioxide, water and temperature, and watch photons, CO₂ molecules, water, oxygen bubbles and sugar move through the plant at rates set by the real limiting-factor relationship: the scarcest input, scaled by how well the enzymes work at that temperature, sets the speed. Respiration is included, so in the dark the plant runs at a loss.

• Slide the light down to night and watch photosynthesis stop while respiration carries on.
• Starve the plant of water and see the leaves droop while the rate collapses.
• Raise a plentiful input and notice that nothing changes: only the limiting factor matters.
• Push the temperature past the enzymes' optimum and watch the rate fall away.
• Use Look closer to fly in to the leaf where the gases are exchanged.

1. 1State the word equation and balanced equation for photosynthesis.
2. 2Identify the limiting factor from a set of conditions and justify the answer.
3. 3Explain why a plant releases oxygen and stores sugar, and why respiration can make the net gain negative.

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