DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

FACULTY OF SCIENCE & MATHEMATICS

UNIVERSITI PENDIDIKAN SULTAN IDRIS
SSI 3013: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN SCIENCE
ASSIGNMENT 2 : DATA LOGGERS
NAME

MATRIX NUMBER

SHAFIQAH BINTI HANAFI

D20141067057

FARAH AMIRAH BINTI AZMI

D20141067058

SITI NUR ATHIRAH BINTI MOHMAD

D20141067060

LECTURERS NAME: ENCIK AZMI IBRAHIM

GROUP
: GROUP C
DATE
: 13/10/2016

Introductions

Data logging are the collection of data over a period of time and usually are used in
scientific experiments. Data logging system typically monitor a process using sensor such as
light, temperature, sound, pH, humidity, and pulse sensor that linked to the computer. Most of
the data logging can be done automatically under the computer control. Data logging techniques
have been available for some time but, despite research findings identifying benefits, they
appear to be under-used. The interview data have presented that implementation of data
logging in classroom are not straightforward. This is because, the data logging are shaped by a
complex set of influences that include provision of resources, planning strategies and the level
of teachers understanding of the scope and potential of data logging activities (International
Journal of Science Education, 2000). In addition, there are several advantages of data logging
in teaching and learning in Malaysia School.
Data Logging Process
The materials that plays important role in data logging process are sensors. There are
many types of sensor such as light, heat, sound, pressure, acidity, and humidity. The sensor will
send signals to an interface box that link to the computer when conduct the experiment by using
data logging. The function of an interface box are converts analogue signals to digital signal that
the computer can understand. Then, the computer controlling the process will take readings at
the regular intervals. The time interval for data logging is the time between readings whereas
the logging period is total length of time over which reading are taken. Then, the reading and
result obtain are stored in tables and can displays in graph. Thus, the result are obtain from the
experiment.

Advantages

There are many advantages of data logging which are can attract greater interest in
practical work among students during their lab session. This will increase the motivation to
students to run their experiment and practical work. Besides, the data logging also can help
students to have better understanding of scientific experimentation and science concept
because the data logging have shown the accurate result and student have chance to repeat
the experiment until they get the accurate result for the experiments. Then, the data logging will
enhanced the computer literacy among the students and produce students who are
knowledgeable in the use of technology. This is a skill which is important due to the increased
use of technology in various aspects.
Disadvantages
There are several disadvantages of data logging uses especially to students, Firstly, the
data logging will give problem and decrease the motivation of students that does not like
working on computer system. The students will feel lazy and produce poor quality of work due to
not interested in using data logging skill. Then, this data logging technology also will reduce the
conventional methods of data collection and practice of graphing skills among the students
especially in physics. This is because, all the data and graph was plotted automatically by the
data logging and does not give chance to the students to plot the graph by themselves. Besides,
the data logging will increase the work load of teachers because teachers need to understand
and study how to use the data loggers before they teach their student how to conduct the
experiment by using the data loggers. Lastly, most of students may cannot relate the science
concept to microscopic and symbolic system representations because all of the data can obtain
by using the sensor that connect to the computer system.

Experiment by using Data Logger

Title
Transpiration
Introduction
Transpiration is the evaporation of water into the atmosphere from the leaves and the
stems of plants. The plants are absorbed water from the roots to the shoots. Besides,
transpiration is the process where the moisture is carried through plants from the roots to the
small pores on the underside of the leaves and then released to the atmosphere as a vapour.
Stomata are structure that involve in the transpiration process in plants.
Stomata are openings pores in the epidermis of leaves and young stems that normally
can found underside of the leaves. The stomata are functions as gas exchange and involve in
process of transpiration. There are guard cells that adjust the size of the opening and closing of
stomata to prevent water lose in plants. This experiment are conducted to prove that the water
are evaporating from the plants.
Objectives
1) Understanding the stomata as a source of water loss in plants
2) To understanding transpiration process in plants
3) To investigate the effect of humidity to plant transpiration
Hypothesis
The higher the humidity the lower the rate of transpiration process in plants
Inference
The higher the humidity have affected the rate of transpiration
Material

Equipment required, DrDAQ educational data logger, Humidity sensor, Temperature sensor,
Plant, Polythene bag.
Procedure
Plant

Humidity Sensor
Computer
Temperature Sensor

Data Logger

Figure 1

Experiment setup

1) The apparatus is set up as shown in the figure 1.

2) The humidity and temperature sensors are connected to the DrDAQ data logger, which
is turn is plugged into the PC.
3) One branch of the plant, the humidity sensor and the temperature sensor are placed into
the polythene bag and the end tied up with string.
4) Pico Log is set to record at one sample per second, with a maximum of 1200 sample
(20 minute worth of data).
5) The graph is set to show humidity.
6) The spreadsheet is set to show both humidity and temperature
Results

Discussion
Transpiration is the process where the water is carried through plants from the roots to
the small pores that known as stomata on the underside of the leaves and then changes to

vapour and release to the environment. The structure of stomata on the leaves are open to help
the plants to exchange gaseous and close to limit the loss of water. There are guard cell that
located on the either side of the pore. In theory, the stomata will open when the guard cell
accumulate potassium salts and causing an osmotically driven uptake of water whereas the
stomata will close to prevent the loss of water. There are several factors that affect the
transpiration process, which are light, temperature, wind and humidity.
Humidity are the concentration of water vapour in the air that decrease the transpiration
process because the dry air cause the diffusion of water out of leaf occur more rapidly. Then,
wind will cause the transpiration rate to increase because stomata that open increase the
evaporation from the leaves. Besides, light will increased transpiration rate because heat hitting
the plant increases amount of water pulled in due to increased rate of transpiration on leaves.
Lastly, the temperature will increase the transpiration rate because high temperature will warm
the water inside the leaves more quickly and causing faster evaporation.
Based on the experiment, the rate of transpiration are increase as the humidity
decreases. When the relative humidity in a plant's environment rises, its rate of transpiration
lowers, and a decrease in humidity causes the transpiration rate to rise. Air that is humid does
not accept water vapour easily, and drier air makes it easier for a plant to release water by
evaporation through the stomata on its external surfaces. Because drier air can account for drier
soil conditions, the water uptake portion of the transpiration process may also increase as the
plant attempts to bring in more water through its root system.
The apparatus is set up as shown in the photo. The humidity and temperature sensors
are connected to the data logger, which is turn is plugged into the PC. One branch of the plant
that humidity sensor and the temperature sensor are placed into the polythene bag and end tied
up with string. The graph is set to show humidity. The spread sheet is set to show both humidity
and temperature.

Questions
1) What is the name of the small pores found on the underside of leaves?
The name of the small pores that found on the underside of leaves are known as
stomata. Stomata are openings pores in the epidermis of leaves and young stems that
normally can found underside of the leaves. The stomata are functions as gas exchange
and involve in process of transpiration. There are guard cells that adjust the size of the
opening and closing of stomata to prevent water lose in plants.
2) What percentage of evaporating water is attributed to transpiration?
Transpiration accounts for approximately 10% of all evaporating water.
3) Plants pump up water from the soil. What purpose does this water serve?
Plants pump the water up from the soil to deliver nutrients to their leaves.
4) Name some environmental stimuli that would affect the rate of transpiration. Explain
whether they would increase or decrease the rate of transpiration.
There are some stimuli that would affect the rate of transpiration which are darkness,
internal water deficit, and extremes of temperature that tend to close stomata and
decrease transpiration. Then, the illumination, ample water supply, and optimum
temperature open stomata and increase transpiration.
5) What is the name of the cells that control the opening and closing of the small pores?
The guard cells control the opening and closing of the stomata in response to various
environmental stimuli.
Conclusion
Higher humidity are the concentration of water vapour in the air that decrease the
transpiration process because the dry air cause the diffusion of water out of leaf occur more
rapidly. However, the lower humidity will increase the rate of transpiration in plants.
Reference
Data Logging. (2014). Retrieved from Bitesize has changed:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/ict/measurecontrol/3dataloggingrev3.shtml
Educational Experiments : Transpiration. (2014). Retrieved from PC Oscilloscope and Data
Logger Products: https://www.picotech.com/library/experiment/transpiration

R.Newton, L. (2000). Data-Logging in practical science. International journal of Science

Education, 1247-1259.
Wahid, T. H. (2012). An advanced physiological data logger for medical imaging applications.
EURASIP JOurnal on Embedded System.