QUESTION IMAGE
Question
challenge: in each of the situations below, use the gizmo to find the limiting factor.
| temperature | light intensity | co₂ level | limiting factor | ---- | ---- | ---- | ---- | 25℃ | 60% | 700 ppm | 15℃ | 20% | 200 ppm | 30℃ | 50% | 400 ppm | think and discuss: suppose you were a farmer trying to grow plants in a greenhouse. why would it be important to know what the limiting factor is?reproduction for educational use only. public sharing or posting prohibited. © 2020 explorelearning™ all rights reserved |
Step1: Analyze 25°C conditions
Photosynthesis depends on light, CO₂, temp. Here, light=60% (adequate), CO₂=700 ppm (high), temp=25°C (optimal for most plants). No factor is scarce, but if we assume typical ranges, none is limiting? Wait, no: compare to other trials. Wait, for 25°C: light 60% (not low), CO₂ 700 ppm (plenty), temp is good. Wait no, limiting factor is the one in shortest supply. For 25°C: all factors are sufficient? No, wait, no—wait, let's check each:
Step1: Evaluate 25°C trial
Light (60%) is not low, CO₂ (700 ppm) is high, temp (25°C) is optimal. No factor is limiting? No, wait, no—wait, limiting factor is the one that, if increased, would boost photosynthesis. Here, all are in non-limiting ranges. But wait, no, let's check others:
Step2: Evaluate 15°C trial
Light=20% (low), CO₂=200 ppm (low), temp=15°C (low). But which is limiting? At low temp, enzyme activity is reduced, but light is very low. Wait no: for 15°C, light is 20% (the lowest here), CO₂ 200 ppm (low), temp 15°C. But the most scarce? Wait, no—limiting factor is the one that is the most restrictive. For 15°C: light intensity (20%) is the lowest value, so it's the limiting factor.
Step3: Evaluate 30°C trial
Light=50% (moderate), CO₂=400 ppm (moderate), temp=30°C (warm, but not extreme). Wait, 400 ppm is ambient CO₂, 50% light is moderate. Wait, no: if we compare, CO₂ is 400 ppm (lower than 700), light 50% (lower than 60), temp 30°C (higher than 25). But which is limiting? CO₂ at 400 ppm is the lowest CO₂ value here, so it's the limiting factor.
Wait, correction for 25°C: all factors are high/optimal, but if we have to pick, none? No, no—wait, 60% light is not maximum, 700 ppm CO₂ is high, 25°C is optimal. Wait, no, the limiting factor is the one that is in shortest supply relative to needs. For 25°C: none are limiting? No, that can't be. Wait, no—wait, 60% light is less than 100%, but 700 ppm is above ambient. Wait, no, let's re-do:
Step1: 25°C condition check
Light: 60% (sufficient, not low), CO₂:700 ppm (elevated, non-limiting), Temp:25°C (optimal for photosynthesis). No factor is limiting? No, wait, no—actually, if all are adequate, but the question says to find limiting factor. Wait, no, maybe I got it wrong:
Wait, limiting factor is the variable that is at the lowest level relative to the plant's requirement.
For 25°C: Light 60% (not the lowest), CO₂ 700 ppm (highest), Temp 25°C (middle). So no limiting factor? No, that's not right. Wait, no—wait, maybe 25°C: light is 60%, which is lower than 100%, but CO₂ is high. Wait, no, the limiting factor is the one that, when increased, increases photosynthesis. At 25°C, if we increase light from 60% to 100%, would photosynthesis increase? Yes, but CO₂ is 700 ppm, which is enough. Wait, no, maybe the limiting factor is light intensity? No, wait 60% is moderate. Wait, no, let's look at the values:
- 25°C: Light=60%, CO₂=700 ppm, Temp=25°C. The lowest value here is light (60% is lower than CO₂'s relative level, temp is optimal). No, wait, no—units are different. We have to compare which is the most restrictive.
Wait, standard limiting factors:
- At low light, light is limiting.
- At low CO₂, CO₂ is limiting.
- At extreme temps, temp is limiting.
So:
Step1: 25°C: All factors non-limiting? No, wait 60% light is not maximum, but 700 ppm is high. Wait, no, the answer is:
Step1: 25°C: Light intensity
Wait no, no—wait, 700 ppm is high, so CO₂ is not limiting. Temp is optimal. So light is the only one that can be increased, so it's the limiting factor.
Step2: 15°C: Light intensity (20% is very lo…
Step1: Identify 25°C limiting factor
Light intensity (60%) is the only factor that can be increased to boost photosynthesis, as CO₂ (700 ppm) is elevated and temperature (25°C) is optimal.
Step2: Identify 15°C limiting factor
Light intensity (20%) is the lowest value, and is the most restrictive factor (lower light limits photosynthesis more than low temp/CO₂ here).
Step3: Identify 30°C limiting factor
CO₂ level (400 ppm, ambient) is the lowest CO₂ value; increasing it would boost photosynthesis more than adjusting light/temp here.
Step4: Explain farmer's need for this info
Knowing the limiting factor tells the farmer which resource to prioritize (e.g., grow lights, CO₂ generators, heating/cooling) to optimize growth and avoid wasting money on non-limiting resources.
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Limiting Factor Table:
| Temperature | Limiting Factor |
|---|---|
| 15°C | Light Intensity |
| 30°C | CO₂ Level |
Discussion Answer:
Identifying the limiting factor allows the farmer to target the specific resource (light, CO₂, or temperature) that is restricting plant growth. This lets them allocate resources efficiently (e.g., adding grow lights for low light, CO₂ generators for low CO₂) to maximize crop yield, rather than wasting resources on factors that are already sufficient for photosynthesis.