A scientist set up an experimental ecosystem in a sealed room with no windows. The experimental ecosystem has plants, and animal
s that eat those plants. The scientist can control whether the room is light or dark with a light switch outside the room. The amount of carbon in the air of the ecosystem started out low. Then the amount of carbon in the air started to increase. Is the increase because the scientist switched the light on or because she switched the light off? What happened to the number of energy storage molecules in the living things?
The scientist . . .
a
switched the light off, and the number of energy storage molecules in the living things decreased.
b
switched the light off, and the number of energy storage molecules in the living things increased.
c
switched the light on, and the number of energy storage molecules in the living things increased.
d
switched the light on, and the number of energy storage molecules in the living things decreased.
In the given question, the artificial ecosystem was prepared by the scientist which included the animals and plants. The light and dark conditions were controlled by a switch and bulb.
In the beginning, the amount of Carbon in the form of carbon dioxide was low due to the utilization of carbon dioxide by plants to perform photosynthesis. Then the amount of carbon dioxide increased in the atmosphere, the reason could be due to less consumption of carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is not uptake by plants during night conditions when photosynthesis process slowed down or stops.
Therefore, the dark condition was created by the scientist by switching off the lights and the number of energy molecule decreased as no photosynthesis was occurring.
