Shortcut Methods

Shortcut Methods and Tricks to Solve Numericals on Photosynthesis and Respiration:

Photosynthesis

  • To find the energy of a single photon of light: E (in Joules) = (6.626 × 10^-34 J s^-1 × 3.0 × 10^8 m s^−1)/(Wavelength (in meters))

  • To find the number of photons striking a surface per second: Number of photons = (Light intensity in J m^-2 s^-1) / (Energy of a single photon in Joules)

  • For calculating the rate of photosynthesis using efficiency: Rate of photosynthesis = Efficiency × Number of absorbed photons × Energy per photon

Respiration

  • To find the total energy utilized by the body: Total energy utilized = Efficiency × Food consumed

  • To convert Calories (Kcal) to Joules (J): 1 Kcal = 4186 J

  • To find the amount of substrate utilized: Amount of substrate oxidized = (Total energy utilized) / (Energy value of completely oxidized food material).

  • To calculate the volume of oxygen required for respiration: Amount of O2 required = Amount of substrate oxidized × Molar mass of O2 / Molar mass of glucose × Stoichiometry factor for oxygen (Stoichiometry factor depends on the balanced equation)

  • To find the volume of gas using the ideal gas law: V = nRT/P

Remember to use appropriate conversion factors and units throughout your calculations. Mastering these shortcuts and tricks can help you solve numerical problems on photosynthesis and respiration quickly and efficiently.