Question

(i) How do plants trap solar energy and convert it into food energy?

Answer 1

Solar energy:

• The energy released from the sun is solar energy.
• A major part of the solar energy reaching the earth gets trapped in the clouds, air, water vapors, and gases.

Plants and solar energy utilization:

• Only 48% of the solar energy entering the earth, reaches the surface of the earth.
• The plants capture only 1% of the total solar energy falling on their leaves.
• They have chlorophyll that can utilize this energy to create organic compounds like sugar and starch through photosynthesis.
• The following reaction of the photosynthesis shows how they synthesize food.
• $6{\mathrm{CO}}_2+12{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\to {\mathrm{C}}_6{\mathrm{H}}_{12}{\mathrm{O}}_6+6{\mathrm{O}}_2+6{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}$