Biology Figures

Limiting factors worksheet: what limits the rate of photosynthesis at A, B, C and D?

An example figure from the Photosynthesis Rate generator.

Black and white graph of rate of photosynthesis against light intensity with no numbers on the axes: a solid, a dashed and a dotted curve rising together and levelling off at three heights, with point A on the shared straight rise and points B, C and D on the three plateaus at the same light intensity, and a key naming 0.1 % CO₂ at 25 °C, 0.1 % CO₂ at 15 °C and 0.04 % CO₂ at 15 °C
A black-and-white worksheet graph of the rate of photosynthesis against light intensity at three combinations of CO₂ and temperature. Point A is on the straight rise all three curves share; B, C and D are on their plateaus at the same light intensity, for questions like “What limits the rate at A?” and “Why is the rate at C lower than at B?”
Edit this figure Download PNG

Editing opens it in Photosynthesis Rate with these settings, to change anything and copy or download your own.

Answer key

  • 0.1 % CO₂, 25 °C: light is limiting up to a light intensity of about 41, then the rate levels off at 9.8
  • 0.1 % CO₂, 15 °C: light is limiting up to a light intensity of about 19, then the rate levels off at 4.6
  • 0.04 % CO₂, 15 °C: light is limiting up to a light intensity of about 11, then the rate levels off at 2.6

Free to use in your tests, worksheets, slides or anything else, no credit needed. Public domain under CC0 1.0. How to reuse our figures

More Photosynthesis Rate examples

Make your own in Photosynthesis Rate →