Step 1: Understand the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose. The reactants are carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O), and the products are glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) and oxygen (O₂).
Step 2: Recall the general chemical equation for photosynthesis. The balanced equation is: . This represents the transformation of six molecules of carbon dioxide and six molecules of water into one molecule of glucose and six molecules of oxygen.
Step 3: Analyze the options provided in the problem. Compare each equation to the general photosynthesis equation. Look for the correct reactants (CO₂ and H₂O) and products (C₆H₁₂O₆ and O₂), ensuring the equation is balanced.
Step 4: Eliminate incorrect options. For example, equations that show glucose and oxygen as reactants instead of products are incorrect because they do not represent photosynthesis. Similarly, equations with incorrect stoichiometric coefficients or missing components should be ruled out.
Step 5: Identify the correct equation. The correct representation of photosynthesis is: . This matches the balanced chemical equation for photosynthesis and aligns with the biological process.