Question

What percentage of solar radiation is absorbed by green plants for photosynthesis?

Answer 1

Between 98 and 99 percent of solar energy reaching the Earth is reflected from leaves and other surfaces and absorbed by other molecules, which convert it to heat. Green plants capture about 1 % of the solar energy using chlorophyll in their leaves. Photosynthesis is the chemical process by which producers capture light energy from the sun and use it to combine water with air to form sugar or food. The chemical equation is:

6CO₂  + 6H₂O + light energy

                          \(\downarrow\)

         C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂

[Carbon dioxide + water +sunlight yields sugar (food) and oxygen}