The equation below shows the process of photosynthesis.
Carbon dioxide + Water → ? + Oxygen
What is the ? in the above equation?
The "?" in the equation is glucose.
In the equation for photosynthesis, the "?" represents glucose. So, the complete equation for photosynthesis is:
Carbon dioxide + Water → Glucose + Oxygen
The "?" in the equation represents the product of the photosynthesis process, where carbon dioxide and water molecules are used to produce a certain substance with the release of oxygen. To determine the specific product, we need to understand the process of photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy from the sun into chemical energy in the form of glucose. This process takes place in the chloroplasts of plant cells.
During photosynthesis, carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and water (H2O) from the roots are used as reactants. These reactants are combined in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll, a pigment found in chloroplasts.
The main reaction in photosynthesis is as follows:
6CO2 + 6H2O + sunlight → C6H12O6 + 6O2
This balanced equation indicates that six molecules of carbon dioxide combine with six molecules of water, using sunlight energy, to produce one molecule of glucose (C6H12O6) and release six molecules of oxygen (O2).
Therefore, in the equation you provided (Carbon dioxide + Water → ? + Oxygen), the "?" represents the product of photosynthesis, which is glucose (C6H12O6).