Look up the equation for photosynthesis. Pretend you are the element oxygen. What is happening to you as you are going through this change from one side of the equation to the other side? You’ve been asked by a local elementary school to write a narrative story OR create a visual diagram about your experience to help kids better understand the concept of physical and chemical changes. Include whether what happened to you is a physical or chemical change and why
To find the equation for photosynthesis, we can search for it on reliable sources like textbooks or educational websites. For this particular question, a simple search online can yield the equation:
6 CO2 + 6 H2O → C6H12O6 + 6 O2
Now, let's imagine being the element oxygen and going through this change as described in the equation.
On the left side of the equation, we start as one of the reactants: 6 CO2 + 6 H2O. This represents carbon dioxide and water, which are both reactants necessary for the process of photosynthesis to occur. Now, let's focus on the part that involves oxygen: 6 O2. Here, we see that there are six molecules of oxygen involved.
As the reaction progresses and we move to the right side of the equation, we observe the formation of glucose: C6H12O6. In this step, oxygen plays a crucial role in combining with hydrogen and carbon atoms from carbon dioxide and water, allowing glucose to form.
Simultaneously, on the right side, we see the generation of 6 molecules of oxygen: 6 O2. It means that as oxygen, we are released as a byproduct during photosynthesis.
In terms of whether what happened to oxygen is a physical or chemical change, we can determine it based on the definition of these changes:
A physical change involves altering the physical properties of a substance without changing its chemical composition. In the process of photosynthesis, oxygen is not merely changing its physical properties but rather undergoing a chemical transformation by participating in the formation of glucose.
Therefore, the transformation of oxygen from one side of the equation to the other is considered a chemical change because it involves the rearrangement of atoms and the creation of new substances (glucose) through chemical reactions.
To summarize, if I were to create a narrative story or visual diagram about my experience as oxygen in the photosynthesis process, I would showcase my journey from being a reactant to a product. Starting from the left side of the equation, I'd illustrate how I react with carbon dioxide and water to form glucose while simultaneously getting released as a byproduct in the form of oxygen molecules on the right side.