Answer :
KOH absorbs CO₂ when placed in a bell jar, preventing the plant from performing photosynthesis. This demonstrates the crucial role of CO₂ in the photosynthesis process.
How does KOH affect the process of photosynthesis in the plant kept in a bell jar?
Potassium hydroxide (KOH) is commonly used in experiments to absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂). When KOH is placed inside the bell jar with a plant, it reacts with CO₂ to form potassium carbonate (K₂CO₃), which effectively removes CO₂ from the environment inside the jar. Since CO₂ is a crucial reactant in photosynthesis, its absence will inhibit the photosynthesis process.
Photosynthesis requires both light and CO₂ to produce glucose and oxygen. When KOH absorbs the CO₂, the plant is deprived of a necessary component for photosynthesis, resulting in reduced or completely halted glucose and oxygen production. This demonstrates the importance of CO₂ in the photosynthesis process.
To summarize, the presence of KOH in the bell jar removes CO₂, thereby hindering the ability of the plant to carry out photosynthesis.
