In the photosynthesis reaction, six carbon atoms combine. The overall equation for photosynthesis can be represented as:
\[ 6 , CO_2 + 6 , H_2O \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6 , O_2 \]
This shows that six molecules of carbon dioxide (each containing one carbon atom) are used to produce one glucose molecule, which contains six carbon atoms. Therefore, the correct answer is:
6