Question

Refer to this summary equation of photosynthesis to complete the sentences about chemical bonds and reactions. 6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6 O₂. What are the reactants in this equation?

1) 6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O
2) C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6 O₂
3) 6 CO₂
4) 6 H₂O

Answer 1

In the photosynthesis equation, the reactants are 6 molecules of carbon dioxide (6 CO₂) and 6 molecules of water (6 H₂O), so the correct answer is 1) 6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reactants in the photosynthesis equation 6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6 O₂ are the substances that are consumed to start the reaction and are found on the left side of the arrow. In this equation, the reactants are 6 molecules of carbon dioxide (6 CO₂) and 6 molecules of water (6 H₂O). Therefore, the correct answer to the question is 1) 6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O. The other options, C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6 O₂, refer to the products of the reaction, while options 3 and 4 list the individual reactants separately.

Answer 2

The reactants in the photosynthesis equation are 1) 6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O.

Step-by-step explanation:

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose, a sugar molecule. The summary equation for photosynthesis is 6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6 O₂. This equation represents the overall process where carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O) are the reactants, and glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) and oxygen (O₂) are the products.

In the context of chemical reactions, reactants are the substances that undergo change to form new substances (products). In this equation, 6 molecules of carbon dioxide (6 CO₂) and 6 molecules of water (6 H₂O) are the reactants. These substances are transformed through the process of photosynthesis into one molecule of glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) and six molecules of oxygen (6 O₂), which are the products of the reaction.

To understand the conservation of atoms in the reaction, we can analyze the number of atoms of each element on both sides of the equation. On the left side, there are 6 carbon (C) atoms, 12 hydrogen (H) atoms, and 18 oxygen (O) atoms. On the right side, the products contain the same number of atoms: 6 C atoms, 12 H atoms, and 18 O atoms. This demonstrates the principle of conservation of mass in chemical reactions, where the total mass of the reactants equals the total mass of the products.

In summary, the reactants in the photosynthesis equation are 6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O, and through this process, plants harness light energy to synthesize glucose and release oxygen into the environment. The balanced equation ensures the conservation of atoms in the transformation of reactants into products.