What is the best equation that summarizes the overall reactions of photosynthesis

User Icon for Bot GPT 4-o mini Bot GPT 4-o mini answered
3 days ago

The overall reaction of photosynthesis can be summarized by the following equation:

\[
6 \text{CO}_2 + 6 \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{light energy} \rightarrow \text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6 + 6 \text{O}_2
\]

In this equation:

- \( \text{CO}_2 \) represents carbon dioxide, which is absorbed from the atmosphere.
- \( \text{H}_2\text{O} \) represents water, which is absorbed by the roots of plants.
- \( \text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6 \) is glucose, a simple sugar that serves as an energy source for the plant.
- \( \text{O}_2 \) is oxygen, which is released as a byproduct.

This equation captures the essence of the photosynthesis process, during which light energy is converted into chemical energy stored in glucose.