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Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use the energy in sunlight to synthesize
material from air and water for growth. In this process violet light is absorbed by chlorophyll,
the energy obtained splits water, and oxygen gas is given off by the reaction

2H2 O(l) = hydrogen + O2 (g).

The hydrogen remains in the leaf and participates in further reactions. The experiment
described here is designed to show that sunlight causes green leaves to produce oxygen.

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Some green water plants were placed under water in a beaker. An inverted funnel over the
plants has its end covered by an inverted test tube filled with water (see Fig. 1). The assembly
was kept in the dark for five hours. During this time no gas was produced by the plants.

Fig. 1. Apparatus with gas produced after exposure to sunlight.

The assembly was then exposed to sunlight for another 5 hours. While exposed, the plants
produced a gas which was collected in the inverted test tube as shown in Fig. 1.

After enough gas had been produced, the test tube was removed, and inverted, and a glowing
piece of wood was inserted into the tube. The wood was observed to burn more rapidly in the
gas in the test tube than in ordinary air.

 



The behavior of the glowing piece of wood showed that the gas produced by the plants was
oxygen. The fact that no gas was produced while the assembly was kept in the dark showed
that sunlight was the cause of the production of oxygen.