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Transpiration has a cooling effect on the leaves of plants - OCR Gateway - GCSE Biology - Question 15 - 2018 - Paper 1
Question 15
Transpiration has a cooling effect on the leaves of plants. Which statement best describes how this happens? A. Evaporation of water from the leaf removes heat energ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Transpiration has a cooling effect on the leaves of plants - OCR Gateway - GCSE Biology - Question 15 - 2018 - Paper 1
Step 1
Which statement best describes how this happens?
Answer
The correct statement that best describes how transpiration has a cooling effect on the leaves of plants is option A: Evaporation of water from the leaf removes heat energy.
When water evaporates from the surface of the leaf, it undergoes a phase change from liquid to gas. This process requires energy, known as latent heat, which is taken from the leaf itself. As a result, the temperature of the leaf decreases, leading to a cooling effect.
In contrast, the other options do not accurately describe the cooling effect associated with transpiration:
- Option B discusses water entering the stomata, which does not primarily involve cooling.
- Option C refers to water dripping off the leaf, which may contribute to moisture but not directly to cooling via evaporation.
- Option D focuses on water falling on the leaf, which is unrelated to the cooling process of transpiration.