Question

Chemical reaction equations, such as the one for photosynthesis, show the reactants and products of a reaction. How does this simplification misrepresent what takes place during the process of photosynthesis?

Answer 1

As this equation and in fact all of the net chemical equations of complete processes only give the initial and final chemicals and not the others used and consumed inside the process. It also misrepresent the actual action happening inside the process, and also the real numbers as using empirical formulas also leads to wrong conclusions.
Hope this helps.

Answer 2

It does not show that photosynthesis consists of many separate reactions. Although another simplification that the photosynthesis equation leaves out is the requirement of light energy needed to make glucose.