The formula for photosynthesis is:

6CO2+6H2O→lightC6H12O6+6O26\text{CO}_2+6\text{H}_2\text{O}\xrightarrow{\text{light}}\text{C}6\text{H}{12}\text{O}_6+6\text{O}_26CO2​+6H2​Olight​C6​H12​O6​+6O2​

This means six molecules of carbon dioxide and six molecules of water, using light energy captured by chlorophyll, are converted into one molecule of glucose (a sugar) and six molecules of oxygen. The glucose serves as food for the plant, and oxygen is released as a by-product

. In words, the photosynthesis equation is: carbon dioxide + water + light energy → glucose + oxygen

. This process mainly occurs in the chloroplasts of plant cells, specifically in the mesophyll layer of leaves, where chlorophyll absorbs sunlight to drive the reaction