Photosynthesis - Kihei Charter STEM Academy Middle School

Photosynthesis

All consumers rely on producers to provide them with energy, or food. Besides that all living things BREATHE! That is why photosynthesis is one of the fundamental processes on Earth's surface; we rely on it to survive. It is the process by which radiant energy from the sun is used by plants to create energy and expel oxygen.

Light is radiated from the sun in a rainbow of colors that are all intermixed and look white. Inside each leaf are millions of cells, and inside those cells are millions of particles called chloroplasts. Chloroplasts contain special green pigments called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is very good at absorbing most of the colored waves of sunlight but it absorbs very little green light. Leaves look green to us since this green light is mostly reflected back to our eyes. Photosynthesis takes place in the chloroplasts.

Photosynthesis begins as plants absorb Carbon Dioxide (CO2) that is present in the air and water around us. As this is happening the root system is absorbing water (H2O) and transporting it throughout the plant. Chlorophyll in the chloroplasts absorb sunlight and convert it into electrical energy which acts as an energy source that allows plants to make food from CO2 and H2O. This reaction between the CO2 and H2O creates glucose (Ch2O) and releases free oxygen into the air (O2).

The chemical formula for photosynthesis looks like this:

6 CO2 + 6 H20 = C6H1206 + 6 02

Reactants

Products

According to the Law of Conservation of Matter, matter is neither created nor destroyed. One side of the formula is balanced with the other. We will explore this in the following lab.

Copyright Erica Hildebrand 2014

Review Questions:

1. What is photosynthesis? 2. Why is photosynthesis important? 3. Where does photosynthesis take place? 4. Why do plants appear green to us? 5. What are the reactants in photosynthesis? 6. What are the products of photosynthesis?

Copyright Erica Hildebrand 2014

Skittles Lab

We ended our photosynthesis overview by stating that the Law of Conservation of Matter tells us that matter is neither created nor destroyed. The reactants in our equation are balanced with the products.

We are going to investigate and illustrate the truth of this statement in the following lab.

First, we need to determine which color of skittles will represent each atom:

________ Carbon _________ Hydrogen _________Oxygen

Second: We need to figure out how many of each atom we need using the chemical formula.

6 CO2 + 6 H20 = C6H1206 + 6 02

Reactants

Products

Carbon Oxygen Hydrogen

Reactants

The subscript numbers tell us how many of that atom are present in each molecule of the reactant.

Third: Using the skittles create your 6 CO2 and 6 H2O molecules. Draw them in the diagram box on the next page.

Copyright Erica Hildebrand 2014

Fourth: We need to figure out how many of each atom in the product we need using the chemical formula.

6 CO2 + 6 H20 = C6H1206 + 6 02

Reactants

Products

Fifth: Using the skittles again to create your glucose and free oxygen molecules. Draw them in the diagram box below.

Carbon Oxygen Hydrogen

Products

Diagram Box

=

Copyright Erica Hildebrand 2014

Lab Review

1. In your own words explain the process of photosynthesis. 2 How many atoms of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon are there in the reactants of photosynthesis? 3. How many atoms of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon are there in the products of photosynthesis? 4. How does this lab illustrate the Law of Conservation of Matter?

Copyright Erica Hildebrand 2014

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