Green plants appear to release oxygen instead of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere during the daytime because

Options

A. green plants respire during the night time
B. green plants respire during the day time, but are Involved in photosynthesis during night time
C. The rate of photosynthesis is higher than the rate of respiration during the day time
D. green plants don't respire during the night time

Explanation

To answer the question about why green plants appear to release oxygen instead of carbon dioxide during the daytime, we can break down the explanation into clear steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Plant Processes**: Green plants perform two main processes: photosynthesis and respiration. Photosynthesis occurs during the daytime when sunlight is available, while respiration occurs continuously, both day and night.

2. **Photosynthesis**: During photosynthesis, plants use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) into glucose and oxygen (O2). The overall equation for photosynthesis can be summarized as:
\[ \text{6 CO}_2 + \text{6 H}_2\text{O} \xrightarrow{\text{light}} \text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6 + \text{6 O}_2 \]
This means that for every six molecules of carbon dioxide and six molecules of water, six molecules of oxygen are released.

3. **Respiration**: Plants also respire, which is the process of breaking down glucose to release energy. During respiration, plants take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. The equation for respiration is:
\[ \text{C}_6\text{H}_{12}\text{O}_6 + \text{6 O}_2 \rightarrow \text{6 CO}_2 + \text{6 H}_2\text{O} + \text{energy} \]

4. **Daytime Dynamics**: During the daytime, the rate of photosynthesis in green plants is significantly higher than the rate of respiration. This means that while plants are respiring (using some oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide), they are simultaneously producing much more oxygen through photosynthesis.

5. **Conclusion**: As a result, the net effect during the daytime is that green plants release oxygen into the atmosphere. This is why they appear to release oxygen instead of carbon dioxide during the day.

### Final Answer:
Green plants appear to release oxygen instead of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere during the daytime because the rate of photosynthesis is higher than the rate of respiration during this time.

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