Question

1. will has an aquarium with water, plants, and fish that eat the plants. it is sealed so no material can get in or out, and has glass sides that allow sunlight to come in. the aquarium can also be covered to prevent light from entering.

the amount of carbon in the aquariums water started out high. now, the amount of carbon in the water is decreasing.
is the aquarium now in sunlight or is it covered? what is happening to the number of energy storage molecules in the plants and fish as a result?
a. the aquarium is now in sunlight, and there are more energy storage molecules in the plants and fish.
b. the aquarium is now in sunlight, and there are fewer energy storage molecules in the plants and fish.
c. the aquarium is now covered so no light can get in, and there are more energy storage molecules in the plants and fish.
d. the aquarium is now covered so no light can get in, and there are fewer energy storage molecules in the plants and fish.

Explanation:

Plants use sunlight to perform photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide (which contains carbon) from the water (in the form of dissolved carbon dioxide) and convert it into energy - storage molecules (such as glucose). If the amount of carbon in the water is decreasing, it means that the plants are using that carbon. This can only happen if there is sunlight for photosynthesis. As plants produce more energy - storage molecules through photosynthesis, and fish eat the plants, the fish also get more energy - storage molecules (either by directly consuming the energy - storage molecules in plants or by using the energy from the plants to make their own storage molecules like glycogen).

Answer:

a. The aquarium is now in sunlight, and there are more energy storage molecules in the plants and fish.