i think false,
its around 40% and even that is at its peak efficiency,
a lot of energy is lost in the form of heat
plants receive most of the visible light spectrum,
except around the center (green) which is reflected and
is the reason we see green
DNAunion
The following may help.
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The photosynthetic efficiency is the fraction of light energy converted into chemical energy during photosynthesis in plants and algae. Photosynthesis can be described by the simplified chemical reaction
H2O + CO2 + energy –> CH2O + O2,
where CH2O represents carbohydrates such as sugars, cellulose, and lignin. The value of the photosynthetic efficiency is dependent on how light energy is defined. On a molecular level, the theoretical limit in efficiency is 25 percent[1] for photosynthetically active radiation (wavelengths from 400 to 700 nanometer). For actual sunlight, where only 45 percent of the light is photosynthetically active, the theoretical maximum efficiency of solar energy conversion is approximately 11 percent. In actuality, however, plants do not absorb all incoming sunlight (due to reflection, respiration requirements of photosynthesis and the need for optimal solar radiation levels) and do not convert all harvested energy into biomass, which results in an overall photosynthetic efficiency of 3 to 6 percent of total solar radiation.[1]
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1. According to that, only 45% of sunlight that strikes a plant has an wavelength that can be used for photosynthesis. So instead of photosynthesis being up to 25% efficient, it can be only about 11% efficient.
2. It goes on to say that certain conditions lower the 11% max efficiency to just 3 to 6% efficiency.
The only real question left is, does "efficiency" mean the same as "what percent of solar energy that strikes a plant is used to produce plant matter?" I don’t think it is.
If the efficiency of process X is 40%, then even if 100% of the incoming energy was used by process X, you’d still get only 40% of that energy in the product. Efficiency deals with the end result, whereas the question seems to be asking about the beginning input.
scottsdalehigh64
I suspect that the answer is false. Most of the solar energy that reaches plants (and the ground) has a longer wavelength (lower energy) than the wavelengths that are needed for photosynthesis. Much of this radiation is in the form of infrared radiation and longer wavelengths.
For the electromagnetic energy in the photosynthetic band, I just feel that photosynthesis in plants is not 50% efficient in converting energy from photons into the chemical bond energy.
If you add up all of the radiation including the wavelengths not used for photosynthesis, it is highly unlikely that photosynthesis is 50% efficient.
False. Photosynthsis is only about 5% efficient. : http://www.upei.ca/~physics/p261/Content/Sources_Conversion/Photo-_synthesis/photo-_synthesis.htm
i think false,
its around 40% and even that is at its peak efficiency,
a lot of energy is lost in the form of heat
plants receive most of the visible light spectrum,
except around the center (green) which is reflected and
is the reason we see green
The following may help.
———————————–
The photosynthetic efficiency is the fraction of light energy converted into chemical energy during photosynthesis in plants and algae. Photosynthesis can be described by the simplified chemical reaction
H2O + CO2 + energy –> CH2O + O2,
where CH2O represents carbohydrates such as sugars, cellulose, and lignin. The value of the photosynthetic efficiency is dependent on how light energy is defined. On a molecular level, the theoretical limit in efficiency is 25 percent[1] for photosynthetically active radiation (wavelengths from 400 to 700 nanometer). For actual sunlight, where only 45 percent of the light is photosynthetically active, the theoretical maximum efficiency of solar energy conversion is approximately 11 percent. In actuality, however, plants do not absorb all incoming sunlight (due to reflection, respiration requirements of photosynthesis and the need for optimal solar radiation levels) and do not convert all harvested energy into biomass, which results in an overall photosynthetic efficiency of 3 to 6 percent of total solar radiation.[1]
———————————–
1. According to that, only 45% of sunlight that strikes a plant has an wavelength that can be used for photosynthesis. So instead of photosynthesis being up to 25% efficient, it can be only about 11% efficient.
2. It goes on to say that certain conditions lower the 11% max efficiency to just 3 to 6% efficiency.
The only real question left is, does "efficiency" mean the same as "what percent of solar energy that strikes a plant is used to produce plant matter?" I don’t think it is.
If the efficiency of process X is 40%, then even if 100% of the incoming energy was used by process X, you’d still get only 40% of that energy in the product. Efficiency deals with the end result, whereas the question seems to be asking about the beginning input.
I suspect that the answer is false. Most of the solar energy that reaches plants (and the ground) has a longer wavelength (lower energy) than the wavelengths that are needed for photosynthesis. Much of this radiation is in the form of infrared radiation and longer wavelengths.
For the electromagnetic energy in the photosynthetic band, I just feel that photosynthesis in plants is not 50% efficient in converting energy from photons into the chemical bond energy.
If you add up all of the radiation including the wavelengths not used for photosynthesis, it is highly unlikely that photosynthesis is 50% efficient.