Edexcel A-Level Biology B 9BI0
Biological Molecules
Cells, Viruses and Reproduction of Living Things
Classification and Biodiversity
Exchange and Transport
Energy for Biological Processes
Microbiology and Pathogens
Modern Genetics
Origins of Genetic Variation
Control Systems
Ecosystems
Energy for Biological Processes
Absorption and action spectra
- 4 things to know
- Papers 1 and 3
Overview
Recall questions on absorption and action spectra and why their match shows that pigments drive photosynthesis, how pigments complement each other, and investigating the effect of light wavelength on photosynthesis with filters or LEDs.
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
What does an absorption spectrum show?
What is plotted on the axes of an absorption spectrum?
Define an action spectrum.
Questions from this subtopic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What does an absorption spectrum show?
Model answer
The wavelengths of light absorbed by a pigment, plotted as absorbance against wavelength.
- 2
What is plotted on the axes of an absorption spectrum?
Model answer
Absorbance on the y-axis against wavelength on the x-axis.
- 3
Define an action spectrum.
Model answer
A graph showing the rate of photosynthesis at different wavelengths of light, plotted as photosynthetic rate against wavelength.
- 4
What variable is measured on the y-axis of an action spectrum?
Model answer
The rate of photosynthesis.
- 5
What evidence supports the conclusion that photosynthetic pigments are responsible for driving photosynthesis?
Model answer
The close correlation between the absorption spectrum and the action spectrum shows that wavelengths absorbed by pigments correspond to wavelengths that drive photosynthesis.
- 6
Why does the similarity between absorption and action spectra indicate that pigments drive photosynthesis?
Model answer
Because the wavelengths of light that are most strongly absorbed by pigments are the same wavelengths that produce the highest rates of photosynthesis.
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