• Question: how do trees produce O2

    Asked by anon-359344 on 21 Mar 2023.
    • Photo: Nikolai Adamski

      Nikolai Adamski answered on 21 Mar 2023:

      Trees, just like other plants, produce O2 as a waste-product during photosynthesis.

      Photosynthesis is the process of converting light energy into chemical energy (which can be stored).
      Briefly, plants capture light and use its energy to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) into carbohydrates (CH2O). This reaction creates oxygen as a waste-product, which the plant/tree releases. The carbohydrates made during photosynthesis can be combined into longer molecules, like fructose and starch (which plants use to e.g. grow).

    • Photo: Alexandra Milliken

      Alexandra Milliken answered on 28 Mar 2023:

      Just building on Nikolai’s answer:

      You can do a small experiment to view Oxygen production from a leaf. Take a leaf (carefully) from a plant and put it in a glass of cold water (make sure the leaf is fully underwater). After leaving the glass in the sun for around an hour, you should be able to see a lot of bubbles (Oxygen).

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