Photosynthesis: the balanced equation and where the energy goes
Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Use this
Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the chloroplast. Inputs in boxes on the left: 6CO₂; 6H₂O. Outputs in boxes on the right: C₆H₁₂O₆; 6O₂. A wavy arrow points into the reaction: light energy.
Ari reads 6CO₂ in the flow diagram. What does the 6 in front of CO₂ tell Ari?
- 6 molecules of carbon dioxide
- 6 grams of carbon dioxide
- 6 carbon atoms in one CO₂ molecule
- 6 oxygen atoms in one CO₂ molecule
Bo sees light energy on the left side of the photosynthesis equation. What kind of part is light energy?
- An input: matter that adds atoms to glucose
- An input: energy that goes in and is stored
- An output: energy that the reaction releases
- An output: energy that leaves as oxygen gas
Use this
Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the chloroplast. Inputs in boxes on the left: carbon dioxide; water. Outputs in boxes on the right: glucose; oxygen gas. A wavy arrow points into the reaction: light energy. Arrow X runs from the water box to the oxygen gas box. Arrow Y runs from the carbon dioxide box to the oxygen gas box.
Esme follows the oxygen gas released by a leaf. Which arrow shows where that oxygen comes from?
- Arrow X, from the water: splitting water frees oxygen
- Arrow Y, from the carbon dioxide: CO₂ gives up its oxygen
- Neither arrow: the leaf takes oxygen in from the air
- Arrow X reversed, from the oxygen gas to the water
Use the table
Formula card (model data, not to scale): one glucose molecule, C₆H₁₂O₆.
element subscript C 6 H 12 O 6 Jun reads the formula card for one glucose molecule. How many oxygen atoms does one molecule hold?
- 24 oxygen atoms
- 6 oxygen atoms
- 12 oxygen atoms
- 1 oxygen atom
Use this
Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the chloroplast. Inputs in boxes on the left: 6CO₂; 6H₂O. Outputs in boxes on the right: C₆H₁₂O₆; 6O₂. A wavy arrow points into the reaction: light energy.
Kira reads 6CO₂ on the left. Atoms = coefficient × subscript. How many oxygen atoms is that?
- 8 oxygen atoms
- 2 oxygen atoms
- 12 oxygen atoms
- 6 oxygen atoms
The 6H₂O on the left holds 12 hydrogen atoms. Luz counts hydrogen atoms in C₆H₁₂O₆ and 6O₂ on the right. How many are there?
- 0 hydrogen atoms, since hydrogen is used up
- 12 hydrogen atoms, all in the glucose
- 24 hydrogen atoms, since O₂ adds 12 more
- 6 hydrogen atoms, since half are lost
Use this
Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the leaf. Inputs in boxes on the left: carbon dioxide, which enters through the openings marked S; water, from the roots. Outputs in boxes on the right: glucose; oxygen gas, which leaves through the openings marked S. S marks tiny openings on the underside of the leaf.
Milo reads that gas moves through stomata in the leaf diagram. Which phrase tells what stomata are?
- The leaf layer where sugar is made
- Cell parts that absorb light for the leaf
- Small openings in a leaf that take in soil to build sugar
- Small openings in a leaf for gas exchange
Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the leaf cell. Inputs in boxes on the left: 6CO₂; 6H₂O. Outputs in boxes on the right: C₆H₁₂O₆; 6O₂. A wavy arrow points into the reaction: light energy. Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the leaf cell. Inputs in boxes on the left: 6CO₂; 6H₂O. Outputs in boxes on the right: C₆H₁₂O₆; 6O₂. A wavy arrow points into the reaction: light energy. leaf cell 6CO₂ 6H₂O chloroplast photosynthesis C₆H₁₂O₆ 6O₂ light energy model, not to scale Noah reads that plant cells carry out photosynthesis in chloroplasts. Which phrase tells what a chloroplast is?
- A cell part that breaks glucose down to make ATP
- A cell part that carries out photosynthesis
- A cell part that turns carbon dioxide into oxygen gas
- A leaf opening that lets gases in and out
Pia reads that plants are photoautotrophs. Which phrase tells what a photoautotroph is?
Use the picture in question 8.
- An organism that makes its own food using light
- An organism that builds its body from soil it takes in
- An organism that relies on sugars made by other organisms
- An organism that gets energy from inorganic chemicals
Use this
Flow diagram (model, not to scale), drawn inside the chloroplast. Inputs in boxes on the left: 6CO₂; 6H₂O. Outputs in boxes on the right: C₆H₁₂O₆; 6O₂. Letter D marks a wavy arrow touching the reaction; its label is blank.
Ren reads a flow diagram of photosynthesis with a blank wavy arrow D touching the reaction. Which label fits D?
- Energy out: released as the glucose forms
- No energy moves: CO₂ and glucose hold equal energy
- Light energy in: taken in and stored in the glucose bonds
- Light energy in: it becomes the atoms of the glucose