8. You have a glass vial full of algae (plant cells that can perform photosynthesis). If you left the vial in the sun, how would the amount of carbon dioxide in it change?How would the amount of oxygen in the vial change?Explain your answer.

If you left a vial full of algae in the sun, the amount of carbon dioxide would **decrease**, and the amount of oxygen would **increase**.<br /><br />This is because the algae are performing photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants (and algae) use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose (a sugar, which is food for the plant) and oxygen. The simplified chemical equation for photosynthesis is:<br /><br />6CO₂ + 6H₂O + Light Energy → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂<br /><br />This equation shows that carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a reactant, meaning it is used up during the process. Oxygen (O₂) is a product, meaning it is created during the process. Therefore, as the algae photosynthesize in the sunlight, they consume carbon dioxide and release oxygen.<br />