Sure, let's break down the chemical equation for photosynthesis and complete it step-by-step by fitting the given components into the right places.
### Photosynthesis Overview
Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll. The raw materials for this process are carbon dioxide ([tex]$CO _2$[/tex]) and water ([tex]$H _2 O$[/tex]), and the products are glucose ([tex]$C _6 H _{12} O _6$[/tex]) and oxygen ([tex]$O _2$[/tex]). Sunlight serves as the energy source for this chemical reaction.
### Chemical Equation for Photosynthesis
The general balanced equation for photosynthesis can be formulated as:
[tex]\[ 6CO_2 + 6H_2O + \text{sunlight} \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2 \][/tex]
### Step-by-Step Solution
1. Identify the Reactants:
- Carbon dioxide ([tex]\(CO_2\)[/tex])
- Water ([tex]\(H_2O\)[/tex])
- Sunlight (energy)
These reactants are required for the process to occur.
2. Identify the Products:
- Glucose ([tex]\(C_6H_{12}O_6\)[/tex])
- Oxygen ([tex]\(O_2\)[/tex])
3. Balanced Equation:
The balanced equation must have equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides of the equation. For photosynthesis, it is balanced as follows:
[tex]\[ 6 \text{CO}_2 + 6 \text{H}_2O + \text{sunlight} \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6 \text{O}_2 \][/tex]
- Reactants:
- 6 molecules of carbon dioxide: [tex]\(6 \text{CO}_2\)[/tex]
- 6 molecules of water: [tex]\(6 \text{H}_2O\)[/tex]
- Sunlight (not a molecule but the energy source required for the reaction)
- Products:
- 1 molecule of glucose: [tex]\(C_6H_{12}O_6\)[/tex]
- 6 molecules of oxygen: [tex]\(6 \text{O}_2\)[/tex]
### Final Balanced Chemical Equation
Thus, the complete and balanced chemical equation for photosynthesis, using the provided components, is:
[tex]\[ 6\text{CO}_2 + 6\text{H}_2O + \text{sunlight} \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6\text{O}_2 \][/tex]
So, the correct boxes would be filled in as follows:
- Reactants: 6[tex]\(\text{CO}_2\)[/tex], 6[tex]\(\text{H}_2O\)[/tex], sunlight
- Products: [tex]\(\text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6\)[/tex], 6[tex]\(\text{O}_2\)[/tex]
This step-by-step breakdown shows how algae use carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to produce glucose and oxygen through the process of photosynthesis.
