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Pill

Theme C - Interaction &  Interdependence

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Direct Hit

Theme A - Unity & diversity

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Page Facing Up

Theme B - Form & Function

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Keycap Digit One

Theme D - Continuity & Change

Absorption spectra show how much light pigments absorb at different wavelengths, while action spectra show the rate of photosynthesis at each wavelength. When we compare the two, the patterns make sense because photosynthesis depends on the wavelengths of light that pigments can absorb!

<ul>
	<li>
	Absorption Spectrum

	<ul>
		<li>Graph showing how much light a pigment (or pigments) absorbs at each wavelength.</li>
		<li>Y-axis: Light absorption (often in % or arbitrary units).</li>
		<li>Example: Imagine you have sunglasses that absorb certain colors of light. The absorption spectrum would tell us how good those sunglasses are at blocking each color!</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>
	Action Spectrum

	<ul>
		<li>Graph showing the rate of photosynthesis at each light wavelength.</li>
		<li>Y-axis: Rate of photosynthesis (typically as a % of the max rate).</li>
		<li>Example: Think of a plant sunbathing 🌿. The action spectrum would tell us which sun rays (colors) make the plant photosynthesize the fastest.</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>X-Axis: Always shows the wavelength of light, ranging from 400nm (violet) to 700nm (red).</li>
	<li>Y-Axis
	<ul>
		<li>Absorption Spectrum: Amount of light absorbed.</li>
		<li>Action Spectrum: Amount of photosynthesis occurring.</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>
	Why are the curves on both spectra similar?

	<ul>
		<li>Photosynthesis can only happen in wavelengths of light that chlorophyll or other pigments absorb. So, if a pigment doesn&#39;t absorb blue light, for instance, you won&#39;t see photosynthesis happening in blue light!</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>
	How to get data for the action spectrum?

	<ul>
		<li>Test photosynthesis at different wavelengths by

		<ul>
			<li>Measuring how much oxygen the plant releases (since it gives off oxygen during photosynthesis).</li>
			<li>Checking how much CO2 the plant takes in (because it uses CO2 to make food).</li>
		</ul>
		</li>
		<li>The more wavelengths we test, the better our curve will be!</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

Imagine you have a box of crayons 🖍️. The absorption spectrum would be like checking which colors a piece of paper absorbs (like how black paper absorbs most colors). The action spectrum would be like checking which crayon colors are best for making a beautiful drawing on that paper. Only the colors that the paper can absorb will make the drawing pop!

Remember, without absorption, there&#39;s no action! Plants can only do photosynthesis with the light they can absorb. It&#39;s like trying to listen to music with headphones 🎧 - if the headphones can&#39;t pick up the sound, you can&#39;t hear it!

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Happy studying! 🌱🌿🍃

Theme C - Interaction & Interdependence

Explore Absorption & Action Spectra!

Table of content

Quick Summary 🌟

Definitions 📘

Graphing guidelines 📏