Excerpts from Photosynthesis Data Sections

Good Excerpts

Note that while none of these quotes would stand alone as a good Data section, a number of these ideas combined together might do quite nicely.

Here is an acceptable computer-generated graph:

Computer Graph

Here is an acceptable hand-drawn graph (While the process of scanning this graph and displaying it on your computer screen may make some of the lines seem wavy, they were all drawn with a straight-edge.):

Drawn Graph

These should be accompanied by comments pointing out and summarizing key features, such as:

Both chlorophyll A and the green food coloring have absorption peaks in the violet range. However, the maximum for chlorophyll A is around 425 nm as compared to 400 nm for the green food coloring. Both also have peaks in the red range. However, these are quite different. The maximum for chlorophyll A is at 675 nm (“deep” red), while the maximum for the green food color is at 625 nm (orangish-red). Both have minima in the 525 nm (geen) range, hence the similarity in appearance of these two pigments. Interestingly, the green food coloring has a second minimum at around 675 to 700 nm, right where chlorophyll A’s red-range peak is. For chlorophyll A, the peak at 425 nm (violet) is about twice as high as the peak at 675 nm (red), while for the green food coloring the peak at 400 nm (violet) is only about 2/3 as high as the one at 625 nm.


Not So Good Excerpts

Here is an unacceptable computer-generated graph:

Computer Graph

Here is an unacceptable hand-drawn graph:

Drawn Graph

Comments such as the following don’t really say anything of value about the data:


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