JMSS Entry Tips

YOMAMA

This is the prompt I asked chatgpt:

Please give me a prompt following this description: A science practical report is provided, and certain questions need to be answered. Normally, it is a basic report and will rely more on your ability to interpret information rather than your science knowledge. This part of the exam is usually answered with an essay. No example structure or additional informaion should be provided
I then asked it to refine the prompt, removing the questions to be more realistic
### This is the result it gave me: _### Science Practical Report Analysis

Instructions:

You have been provided with a practical report detailing an experiment conducted to investigate the effect of light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis in a common aquatic plant, Elodea. Your task is to interpret the information presented in the report and write an essay based on your analysis. This part of the exam assesses your ability to understand and critically evaluate scientific data, rather than your specific scientific knowledge.

Experiment Description:

Objective:
To investigate how different light intensities affect the rate of photosynthesis in Elodea.

Hypothesis:
Increasing light intensity will increase the rate of photosynthesis in Elodea until a certain point, beyond which the rate will no longer increase.

Materials and Methods:

• Elodea plants
• Light source with adjustable intensity
• Sodium bicarbonate solution (to provide a source of CO₂)
• Test tubes
• Water bath
• Stopwatch
• Measuring cylinder

Procedure:

1. Place a sprig of Elodea in a test tube filled with sodium bicarbonate solution.
2. Position the light source at different distances (10 cm, 20 cm, 30 cm, 40 cm, and 50 cm) from the test tube to vary the light intensity.
3. Allow the plant to acclimate for 5 minutes at each distance before starting measurements.
4. Count the number of oxygen bubbles produced by the Elodea in 5 minutes as an indicator of the rate of photosynthesis.
5. Repeat the measurements three times for each distance to ensure reliability.

Results:
The number of oxygen bubbles produced per minute was recorded at each distance. The results showed an increase in the rate of photosynthesis with increasing light intensity up to 30 cm, after which the rate plateaued.

Discussion:
The results support the hypothesis that light intensity affects the rate of photosynthesis up to a certain point. The plateau observed at 30 cm suggests a maximum rate of photosynthesis, beyond which other factors may become limiting. Potential sources of error include variations in Elodea size and health, and light intensity inconsistencies.

Conclusion:
The experiment demonstrates that light intensity increases the rate of photosynthesis in Elodea up to an optimal level, after which the rate remains constant. This has implications for understanding the light saturation point in photosynthetic organisms.

Write an essay interpreting and analyzing the provided experiment. Ensure your essay is clear and concise, covering the objective, hypothesis, methodology, results, and conclusions drawn from the experiment. Include any suggestions for improving the experimental design or methodology, and discuss the broader implications of the findings. You have 30 minutes to complete this task._

This was my response:

_RESPONSE -
Analysis on Elodea Photosynthesis Experiment
Introduction –
The aim of the experiment was to investigate how different light intensities affect the rate of photosynthesis in Elodea plants. This objective was achieved, although there are multiple possible points of error throughout the experiment.

Inconsistency between materials and procedure:
The materials list states that a “light source with adjustable intensity” should be used, implying that the light sources brightness/intensity should be adjusted. This contrasts with the method, which says to “position the light source at [specific] distances”. This inconsistency could mean that the both the distance between the light and the plant and the brightness of the light could be changed. Although as long as it is consistent is should not have a large effect, it could alter the findings of the experiment.

Results:
The results showed an “increase in the rate of photosynthesis” with increasing light intensity up to 30cm. The results do not clarify what the rate was. In the results, multiple possible errors were discussed, including light intensity inconsistency.

Plant Size:
The experiment does not specify the size of elodea plant that should be used, or the quantity of Sodium Bicarbonate solution. In future experiments, the amount of solution should be specified. Additionally, a larger sample size would reduce the amount of variation due to different sizes and health of the Elodea Plant.

Broader Implications:
This experiment could help in the understanding of the optimal light saturation for photosynthetic organisms, although it is limited by the size of the experiment. Through studying photosynthetic qualities of Elodea, we are able to learn more about how photosynthesis functions in underwater plants under controlled conditions. This knowledge could be applied to crops grown underwater, such as seaweed, and increase production efficiency. This could help us feed our growing population in future years.

Conclusion –
This experiment on Elodea Plants has further implications for food production, and further experiments should be conducted. In future experiments, the mentioned errors should be rectified by using a larger sample size, specifying how the light intensity should be changed, and specifying the amount of sodium bicarbonate solution that should be used._
Hope This Helps (and that it formatted right lol)
BTW you can then type it out and ask ChatGPT for feedback, which was what I did

EDIT: edited to format better