Photochemistry

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/photochemistry

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the key distinction?Accesses reaction pathways and intermediates not achievable through thermal energy alone
2. What is the fundamental natural roles?Underpins photosynthesis, vision, Vitamin D synthesis, and stratospheric ozone chemistry
3. How does light make a chemical reaction happen?A photon is a tiny packet of light. When a molecule takes in that photon, it jumps to a higher energy state and can start a new reaction that wouldn’t happen just from heat.
4. Why is light energy important for plants?Plants use a photochemical process called photosynthesis to turn sunlight into food. The light energy is captured by chlorophyll and turned into chemical energy that feeds the plant and all life on Earth.

Electromagnetic Radiation: Energy that travels in waves, including visible light, UV, and infrared.
Excited State: A molecule's unstable, high-energy configuration after absorbing a photon.
Photocatalysis: Using light and a catalyst to drive chemical reactions efficiently.