Introduction:

Photosynthesis is a process by which a plant takes sunlight and carbon dioxide to make carbohydrates. The basic reactions are expressed in the following equations [add verbiage]. Smith, 1999. These reactions are based on many factors including [add more verbiage]. See Jones 1988 for a review. The laboratory work described here explores how the photosynthesis process can be influenced by novel approaches.

Can music affect the photosynthesis rate of coleus plants? Coleus, scientifically termed as [verbiage], is known to be a dim sunlight tolerant plant (Waldo et al., 2000). It photosynthesizes optimally at XX lumens or XX% of that found on a very bright day. Waldo et al. (2000) measured photosynthesis by oxygen elaboration under varying conditions of light. A simple method was developed to monitor oxygen production by a known surface area of coleus plant. Plant material prepared by the "punch" method was exposed to 90 decibels of music of three types: 1) Mozart, 2) Bach, and 3) Prince.

Based on experimentation, evidence was collected that Mozart elevated the evolution of oxygen, whereas Prince caused a shut down of stomates and a concomitant reduction in the photosynthetic rate.

Methods:

Coleus plants of uniform age and height were obtained for this experiment. The plants were grown in 3 by 2 inch containers with standard potting soil, plant food, and watering. [Provide some additional verbiage.] The plants were uniformly maintained under the following lighting conditions [verbiage].

The exposure area was organized as follows: a wire rack of XX size, and under XX lights was configured with Bose stereo speakers model ZZ; and CD's of Mozart Concerto in D, Bach's Requiem, and Prince's Little Red Corvette were played and sound levels adjusted to produce 90 decibels at the level where the coleus plants would be inserted.

Control plants were placed in the exposure area and left for 30 minutes to adapt to the light conditions, temperature, and humidity. Normal background lab noise averaged 65 dB. Using a standard paper punch, leaves of size XX where selected and leave punches were made. Sixty punches were collected and degassed by the method outlined by Shinkle, 2001. [verbiage could be added here about the procedure.] The leaf punches were placed in a 100 mL beaker containing 60 mLs of a freshly prepared 0.2% bicarbonate solution. The control disks were placed next to the sample source plants (but not shaded by those plants). 30 minutes in the control period and under the control conditions were allowed to pass. The rise time for the first ten control disks was recorded. See Table One.

The process was repeated three more times but with the following experimental modification: 60 collected leaf punches were exposed to Mozart; an additional 60 leaf punches were exposed to Bach; and an additional 60 leaf punches were exposed to Prince, each at 90 dB and for 30 minutes. The rise time for the first ten disks were recorded under each experimental condition and the results recorded in Table One.

Please note that the leaf punches were sampled as equally as possible for each of the four conditions: control, Mozart, Bach, and Prince. The time between punch and music exposure was uniform. The placement of the leaf disks was uniform within the sound area.

After obtaining the rise time data, the means of each experimental condition were taken with standard deviation. The four means (control, Mozart, Bach, and Prince) were compared using the Obscure Statistic. (Bush, 1994). The results are found in the next section.

Results:

The standardized coleus leaf would yield about 10 disks per leaf. Thus about 6 leaves were needed for each defined condition. A total of four plants were used to obtain the samples needed for this experiment. Similar plants as possible were selected for the punch samples.

All solutions used were from the same batch of chemicals. The data were collected at same time of day over the course of four days; one day for each experimental condition. Plants that were to be used for different music were kept away from the music exposure of different variable groups.

Table One. Leaf Disk Rise Time under Three Experimental Conditions to 90 dB music.

Leaf Number	Control in min	Mozart in min	Bach in min.	Prince in min
1	4.0	2.3	4.0	8.9
2	4.2	2.4	4.2	10.2
3	4.5	2.5	4.4	14.6
4	4.6	2.7	4.7	17.7
5	5.1	2.8	5.0	18.1
6	5.3	3.1	5.5	20.1
7	6.4	3.2	6.1	22.1
8	6.4	3.5	6.3	24.2
9	7.0	4.0	6.9	25.1
10	7.3	7.1	7.5	28.2
mean	XX	XX	XX	XX
S.D.	YY	YY	YY	YY

The means of each condition and the N (sample size) were placed into the Obscure Statistic algorithm. The significance factor rating the difference quotient is recorded in Table Two.

Table Two: Obscure Statistic for Three Experimental Conditions

	Control	Mozart	Bach	Prince
OS number	-	50	1.1	- 1000

Note to record: It was observed that in the case of the Control, Mozart, and Bach disks, that the disks would turn on their side first then float to the surface on edge. The Prince disks would buckle in the middle and float to the surface with their concave side up, that is, horizontal rather than vertical. Additionally, it was quickly determined that two people had to record the Bach data for one person nearly fell asleep during the Requiem playing.

Discussion:

These data clearly indicate that Prince music under the conditions outlined negatively affected the oxygen liberation of the Coleus plant. Geezer in her 1994 exposition on the Obscure Statistic suggests that a value greater than 55 positive or 200 negative represents a 99% chance of significance when N = 10. The Prince data clearly represent a five fold level higher than the 99% confidence value. By use of this statistic one can conclude that Prince music affected the photosynthetic rate of the plant.

Mozart almost met the 55 positive value. That is, Mozart nearly improved oxygen production by an amount greater than chance. Bach, on the other hand, seemed to be no different at 1.1 than the 1.0 no effect in either direction value.

We have collected evidence to suggest that Prince has a decided negative effect on plant photosynthesis and that Mozart may have a positive effect. Bach apparently has no effect.

In her review on music and plants, B. Spears in 1990, described how [add appropriate verbiage].

With this initial experience, suggestions are offered concerning future experimentation. Only one group of ten disks were used, representing one plant. At least three different measurements should be used for each variable. It would be valuable if leaf disks could be randomized between the variables and that all experimental conditions could be run at the same time. Possible differences between sample collection and condition of the plant would be minimized. The problem of providing four identical light exposures to four sound conditions at one time would have to be solved.

It might also be of value to play the music to the intact plant rather than to the leaf disks. The whole may respond in different ways than the parts.

Only the sound levels were maintained at 90 dB. The nature of the "noise" was not investigated. A method to determine the nature of the noise should be determined. For example, the plants might be played "pure" tones at 90 dB rather music. Also different selections of Mozart, Bach, and Prince might be explored within this protocol.

References:

Bush, W. 1994. Using the Obscure Statistic for finding oil. Petrol Review 1:1 &emdash; 15.

Jones, R.F. 1988. Photosynthesis for Dummies. Clothes Press: Philadelphia. Pages 34 &emdash; 55.

Shinkle, J. 2001. Lab Exercise eleven. Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas.

Smith, A.1999. Neat plant equations. Journal of Extrapolation 22:15 &emdash; 19.

Spears, B. 1990. Middle School Project on Plants and Music. http://www.ugsite.org

Waldo, H.A., J. Brahms, W. J. Clinton, and L. Koppenheffer, 2000. The effect of 35 gigaherz on plant photosynthesis at different temperature conditions. Science 250: 1156-1157.

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