For this weeks fun, family-friendly experiment we are exploring the wonders all around us that are hidden from view on a daily basis. Today we are bringing to light the process of Photosynthesis, where plants convert light and C02 into energy and the oxygen that we breathe.
Typically this process is invisible as we cannot see O2 or CO2 with our eyes. but using the “Breathing Leaf” experiment, we can turn the unseen into the visible. Here’s how it works:
First you will need:
- A clear bowl
- Water
- An active leaf (one pulled off a plant, not dead on the ground)
- A small pebble or stone
Fill the bowl with water then place your leaf in the water using the pebble to keep it full submerged.
Place the bowl with leaf in a summer spot and leave it for at least 5 hours (24 hours is best).
When you return you will see bubbles covering the leaf from its release of Oxygen.
We will see you next time for another experiment you can recreate at home or in the classroom and remember, we’re always doing it, For Science!