Which is the correct chemical equation for photosynthesis?

A. [tex]6 CO_2 + 6 H_2O \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6 O_2[/tex]
B. [tex]C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6 O_2[/tex]
C. [tex]6 CO_2 + 6 H_2O[/tex]
D. [tex]3 CO_2 + 3 H_2O + 3 O_2 \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6[/tex]
E. [tex]6 O_2 + 6 H_2O \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6 CO_2[/tex]



Answer :

The correct chemical equation for photosynthesis is given by combining the reactants and products in a specific ratio.

The balanced chemical equation for photosynthesis is:

Reactants:
1. Carbon Dioxide ([tex]\(CO_2\)[/tex])
2. Water ([tex]\(H_2O\)[/tex])

Products:
1. Glucose ([tex]\(C_6H_{12}O_6\)[/tex])
2. Oxygen ([tex]\(O_2\)[/tex])

The photosynthesis process can be described as:
6 molecules of Carbon Dioxide ([tex]\(CO_2\)[/tex]) react with 6 molecules of Water ([tex]\(H_2O\)[/tex]) to produce 1 molecule of Glucose ([tex]\(C_6H_{12}O_6\)[/tex]) and 6 molecules of Oxygen ([tex]\(O_2\)[/tex]).

Thus, the balanced chemical equation for photosynthesis is:
[tex]\[ \mathbf{6 \ CO_2 + 6 \ H_2O \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6 \ O_2} \][/tex]

By comparing this with the choices given:
1. [tex]\(6 \ CO_2 + 6 \ H_2O\)[/tex]
2. [tex]\(C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6 \ O_2\)[/tex]
3. [tex]\(6 CO_2 + 6 H_2 O\)[/tex]
4. [tex]\(3 CO_2 + 3 H_2 O + 3 O_2 \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6\)[/tex]
5. [tex]\(6 \ O_2 + 6 \ H_2O\)[/tex]
6. [tex]\(C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6 \ CO_2\)[/tex]

We can see that choice (3),
[tex]\[ \mathbf{6 \ CO_2 + 6 \ H_2O \rightarrow C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6 \ O_2} \][/tex]
is the correct balanced equation for the photosynthesis process.