Question

In photosynthesis, carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) combine to form the sugar glucose (C6H12O6) in the following reaction:

6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + ?

Assuming this equation is balanced, which part is missing from the product side?

(1 point)
Responses

12 oxygen atoms
12 oxygen atoms

6 carbon atoms
6 carbon atoms

12 hydrogen atoms
12 hydrogen atoms

6 oxygen atoms

Answer 1

In the balanced equation for photosynthesis:

\[ 6CO_2 + 6H_2O \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + ? \]

To find out what is missing from the product side, we can count the atoms on both sides of the equation.

On the reactant side:
- From 6CO2: 6 carbon atoms and 12 oxygen atoms (6 x 2)
- From 6H2O: 0 carbon atoms, 6 hydrogen atoms (6 x 2), and 6 oxygen atoms (6 x 1)

This gives a total of:
- Carbon: 6 atoms
- Hydrogen: 12 atoms
- Oxygen: 18 atoms (12 from CO2 + 6 from H2O)

On the product side, we have:
- C6H12O6: 6 carbon atoms, 12 hydrogen atoms, and 6 oxygen atoms.

To account for the missing atoms:
- Total oxygen needed to balance: 18 oxygen atoms on the left
- 6 oxygen atoms are present in glucose, so we need \( 18 - 6 = 12 \) oxygen atoms.

Thus, the missing part from the product side is:

**12 oxygen atoms.**