How to Calculate the Rate of Photosynthesis
This calculator helps you determine the rate of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process used by plants, algae and cyanobacteria to convert light energy into chemical energy, through a process that uses sunlight, water and carbon dioxide. The rate of photosynthesis can be measured in several ways, but a common method involves measuring the volume of oxygen produced over a specific period or the amount of carbon dioxide consumed.
Here, we'll calculate the rate based on the amount of a product (like oxygen) produced over time.
function calculatePhotosynthesisRate() {
var oxygenProduced = parseFloat(document.getElementById("oxygenProduced").value);
var timePeriod = parseFloat(document.getElementById("timePeriod").value);
var leafArea = parseFloat(document.getElementById("leafArea").value);
var ratePerMinuteElement = document.getElementById("ratePerMinute");
var ratePerAreaElement = document.getElementById("ratePerArea");
ratePerMinuteElement.textContent = "";
ratePerAreaElement.textContent = "";
if (isNaN(oxygenProduced) || isNaN(timePeriod) || isNaN(leafArea)) {
ratePerMinuteElement.textContent = "Please enter valid numbers for all fields.";
return;
}
if (timePeriod <= 0) {
ratePerMinuteElement.textContent = "Time period must be greater than zero.";
return;
}
if (leafArea <= 0) {
ratePerMinuteElement.textContent = "Leaf area must be greater than zero.";
return;
}
var rateMLperMinute = oxygenProduced / timePeriod;
var rateMLperCm2perMinute = oxygenProduced / (timePeriod * leafArea);
ratePerMinuteElement.textContent = "Photosynthesis Rate (mL O₂ / minute): " + rateMLperMinute.toFixed(2);
ratePerAreaElement.textContent = "Photosynthesis Rate (mL O₂ / cm² / minute): " + rateMLperCm2perMinute.toFixed(4);
}
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