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Biology Paper 1 · B4 · Lesson 4.3

What changes the rate of photosynthesis?

Light, carbon dioxide, temperature and chlorophyll.

Key ideas1 of 4

More light, up to a point

At low light intensity, increasing the light usually increases the rate of photosynthesis. The graph may then level off: more light gives no further increase under these conditions.

Illustrative data: light intensity 0,20,40,60,80,100 corresponds to 0,8,16,20,20,20 oxygen bubbles per minute.

Read the axes first: rate on the vertical axis, light intensity on the horizontal axis.

Next: Photosynthesis: the pondweed practical →
Topic resources and sources

Daily 5 · Core exam practice · Higher Tier questions · A4 revision sheet

Lessons 4.1–4.8 cover the core. Lessons 4.9–4.10 are Higher Tier only. Daily 5 practises core facts.

AQA Combined Science Trilogy specification · 4.4.1.2. Original notes, questions and diagrams. Experimental numbers are illustrative.

Photographs: pondweed by Frank Vincentz; dough by ElinorD, both CC BY-SA 3.0. Polytunnel by Bob Nichols / USDA, public domain. Images displayed without cropping or other alterations.