how does sunlight affect plants?

Answer 1

Sunlight is necessary for plants to grow, and to provide energy to warm the earth's atmosphere. Light intensity controls plant growth. Light duration affects plant flowering and animal/insect habits.

Now, during photosynthesis, sunlight energy is used to power chemical reactions that combine water with the air's carbon dioxide to form starchy carbohydrate. In other words, during photosynthesis, sunlight energy is stored in carbohydrate for later use. Here's the simplified chemical formula for photosynthesis:

6CO2 + 12H2O + sunlight ---> 6O 2 + C6 H12O 6 + 6H2 O
or...
carbon dioxide + water + sunlight --->
oxygen + carbohydrate + water


Some carbohydrate remains in the leaf but mostly it's transported elsewhere in the plant, perhaps into the stem, or maybe into special underground storage areas, such as the potato plant's potatoes.

Answer 2

This effect is called phototropism.The plants which light for a maxmium period will be healthy and with a short period it will be etloitred.