68 



PROBLEMS IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS 



compensation, l/(^' is 989c of V<^- By increasing the intensity, we arrive 

 at 1/^' = 1 V, which clearly proves that it is really permissible to write 



gain = photosynthesis 

 In § 26 we found equation 27 for thermodynamic efficiency to be 



0.04 A 



At the quantum requirement 3, this equation gives for red light (6600 A) 



0.04 X 6600 



(27) 



If we introduce the degree of compensation a, we find that, according to 

 equation 29, 



0.04 X 



\h 



,a-\ 



a 



or 



OL 



a. 



0.04X 



TABLE 10 

 Degree of compensation and quantum requirement of the gain at increasing intensities (1/^ = 3) 



Degree of 

 Compensation 



1 

 2 

 3 

 5 

 10 

 40 



Quantum Requirement 

 of the Gain 



- 7 



6.0 



4.5 

 3.8 

 3.3 

 3.07 



Warburg and Burk called y\' the economic efficiency. At the compensation 

 point a = 1 we find 77' = 0. At 6-fold compensation we have 



V = 88^^ = 73% 



At 40-fold compensation t]' = 86%. With increasing compensation the 

 economic efficiency increases and approaches the value of thermodynamic 

 efficiency. 



