Light and Plant Growth
Chapter 17: Introduction to Plants

You may recall that visible light is actually a combination of different colors. Each color has a different wavelength. How do different wavelengths of light affect plants? You can find out if you…

Try This

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1. Use three plants of the same species and age. Place each plant in its own pot. Make sure each pot has the same amount and type of soil. Water the plants with the same amount of water for each pot. Place the pots where they will get sunlight. Record the appearance of each plant.
2. Cover one of the pots with clear cellophane. Secure the cellophane with string making sure that the cellophane does not directly touch the plant.
3. Repeat step 2 using green cellophane.
4. Repeat step 2 using red cellophane.
5. Over the next two weeks, observe the plants through the cellophane. Only open the cellophane to water the plants.

Analyze Your Results

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1. Which plants changed the most during the growth period?
2. Which plants changed the least during the growth period?
3. Based on this experiment, what color of light would you recommend in order to obtain the best plant growth?

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