The effect of absorption rate on light and dark colored leaves. A particular color of the leaf can have an effect on the absorption rate of the leaf. An experiment was conducted to determine the relationship between a leaf's absorption rate and color. A group of students tested spinach, kale, and chloroplast-free solutions to determine their relationship to absorption rate. Darker colored leaves were found to have a higher absorption rate than lighter colored leaves when analyzed by graphs. This is highlighted by noting that the lighter colored leaves remained constant throughout most of the experiment. It was concluded that the pigment of a leaf can influence the amount of light energy absorbed at different wavelengths. In this lab, different leaves will be tested to determine whether absorption peaks will be affected by the multiple leaf colors resulting from the use of a chlorophyll extract. It is known that all plants are made up of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a green photosynthetic pigment that absorbs sunlight (ScienceDaily, n.d.). Additionally, chlorophyll is essential in a process known as photosynthesis that occurs in plants and other organisms (HowStuffWorks, 2008). Photosynthesis synthesizes carbohydrates known as sugars using light energy absorbed by plants or other organisms, as well as carbon dioxide and water. Chlorophyll gets its green pigmentation by absorbing certain colors of light on the spectrophotometer. A spectrophotometer is an instrument that is used to measure light energy that is absorbed at different wavelengths (Spectrophotometer, n.d.). The wavelength absorbed by chlorophyll is approximately four hundred nanometers and seven hundred nanometers. Chlorophyll reflects green pigments because it is found mainly in the center of the paper. (n.d.). ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 27, 2014, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/c/clorophyll.htmChlorophyll. (2008, October 29). How things work. Retrieved April 27, 2014, from http://science.howstuffworks.com/dictionary/plant-terms/clorophyll-info.htmCook, B. (n.d.). How a Tree Grows by Brent Cook. How a tree grows. Retrieved April 27, 2014, from http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/forsite/2004presentations/brent/lightleavesautumncolors.htmPhotosynthesis: Chlorophyll. (n.d.). Photosynthesis: chlorophyll. Retrieved April 27, 2014, from http://www.phschool.com/science/biology_place/biocoach/photosynth/clorophyll.htmlSPECTROPHOTOMETER USE. (n.d.). Using the spectrophotometer. Retrieved April 27, 2014, from http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/labs/microbiology/Growth_Curve/Spectrophotometer.htm