Question

The plants trap solar energy in the form of
(A) physical energy
(B) chemical energy
(C) heat energy
(D) light energy

Answer 1

Hint Plants take solar energy and convert it into chemical energy by the process called photosynthesis.

Complete step by step solution
Plants transform solar energy or light energy into chemical energy by process of photosynthesis. This chemical energy is stored in the form of carbohydrates or sugar that plants use as their food/ fuel. This process of making food in plants involves a series of reactions whose prerequisites are solar energy, carbon dioxide and water. Solar energy is absorbed directly from solar radiations falling on the chlorophyll, which is a green pigment found in leaf cells and it traps light energy from the sun. The carbon dioxide enters the stomata of the leaves from the atmosphere by the process of diffusion. The water is absorbed from the soil by cells of the root hair. The byproducts of this reaction include ($6C{O_{2(g)}} + 6{H_2}O + Photons \to {C_6}{H_{12}}{O_{6(aq)}} + 6{O_{2(g)}}$) oxygen and some organic compounds like glucose which is stored in the cells in the form of starch. The series of reactions involved in photosynthesis can be fragmented into two main sections:
1. Light reactions
2. Dark reactions
Light reactions are basically energy transduction reactions in which the energy from the sun is converted into energy transporting molecules. These energy transporting molecules are further used to power the dark reactions which are basically carbon-fixation reactions.
Hence, the solar energy is trapped in plants in the form of chemical energy which further powers various vital processes of the plant.

Therefore, Option (B) is correct.

Note: A basic photosynthesis reaction is governed by the equation :
Carbon dioxide + Water + Solar Energy → Glucose / Carbohydrates + Oxygen
Or $6C{O_{2(g)}} + 6{H_2}O + Photons \to {C_6}{H_{12}}{O_{6(aq)}} + 6{O_{2(g)}}$