A high school student is carrying out a science project. She plants alfalfa seeds, and encloses an area planted with one set of alfalfa seeds within a box covered in red cellophane (which reflects light of red wavelengths). She leaves another set of planted alfalfa seeds uncovered. What do you expect she'll find in these two alfalfa populations when her science project is over?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Plants require light to carry out photosynthesis, the process of converting energy from sunlight into chemical energy in the form of glucose. Alfalfa plants require red light in particular for optimal growth. By covering the area with red cellophane, the student is eliminating most of the necessary light for optimal growth of the alfalfa plants. Therefore, the plants in the covered area will likely have lower germination rates compared to the uncovered seed set. The uncovered seed set will receive the full spectrum of natural light and will therefore have higher germination rates than the covered set.

A High School Student Is Carrying Out a Science Project