Which of the following experiments showed that CO2 is essential for photosynthesis?
The Moll’s half leaf experiment demonstrates the necessity of carbon dioxide in photosynthesis. The experiment involved the insertion of half part of a leaf inside a corked bottle containing KOH solution (absorbs CO2).
The bottle was kept outside in the sunlight for few hours. After that, the leaf was taken for a starch test. Part of the leaf that was inside the bottle gave a negative result for starch and the part outside showed a positive result. Thus, it was concluded that CO2 is necessary for photosynthesis.