Question

In photosynthesis, water, carbon dioxide and sunlight are converted into glucose. Select the statement that best describes what is happening to mass and energy during this process. Energy from the sun is being conserved while new carbon dioxide and water atoms are being created. Energy from the sun and the mass of carbon dioxide and water atoms are all being conserved as they are transformed into new substances. Energy and mass are being created and destroyed at the same time. Since this happens at the same time, they are said to be conserved. Energy from the sun and the mass of carbon dioxide and water atoms are all being used up as they are transformed into new substances.

Answer 1

During photosynthesis, the energy from the sun is transformed and conserved in the chemical bonds of glucose, while the mass of carbon dioxide and water is conserved as they are rearranged into glucose and oxygen.

Step-by-step explanation:

In photosynthesis, water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight are converted into glucose. The statement that best describes what is happening to mass and energy during this process is that energy from the sun and the mass of carbon dioxide and water atoms are all being conserved as they are transformed into new substances. Specifically, the energy from the sun is used to convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O) into glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) and oxygen (O₂), with oxygen being released as a byproduct. This transformation adheres to the Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed in a closed system; thus, the atoms are rearranged but not destroyed or created anew. Similarly, the Law of Conservation of Energy indicates that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. In this case, solar energy is captured and stored within the chemical bonds of glucose, a process that is crucial for life on Earth.