Problem for Biomass chapter

Consider this statement made in the notes:

“The amount of energy trapped by photosynthesis is approximately 100 terawatts which is about 6 x larger than the power consumption of human civilization. “

Assume the basic photosynthesis reaction can be written this way:

CO₂ + H₂O + Energy → CH₂O + O₂ .

(a) Given the original statement how many tons of CO2 does photosynthesis remove from the atmosphere each second? (Assume the absorbed energy consists of visible photons.)

(b) What is the net effect on atmospheric CO2 levels from photosynthesis over the course of a year?

(c) If 100 Tw is in fact 6x larger than the power consumed by all humans, what does that imply about the average power consumed per person? How does that compare with the average power consumed by an American?