Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

photolysis

American  
[foh-tol-uh-sis] / foʊˈtɒl ə sɪs /

noun

  1. the chemical decomposition of materials under the influence of light.

photolysis British  
/ fəʊˈtɒlɪsɪs, ˌfəʊtəʊˈlɪtɪk /

noun

  1. chemical decomposition caused by light or other electromagnetic radiation Compare radiolysis

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
photolysis Scientific  
/ fō-tŏl′ĭ-sĭs /

  1. Chemical decomposition induced by light or other radiant energy. Photolysis plays an important role in photosynthesis, during which it produces energy by splitting water molecules into gaseous oxygen and hydrogen ions.

Other Word Forms

  • photolytic adjective

Etymology

Origin of photolysis

First recorded in 1910–15; photo- + -lysis

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Briefly, these investigators showed that the photolysis of carbon dioxide and water results in the formation of formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide, as represented by the equation CO2 + 3H2O = CH2O + 2H2O2.

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Thatcher, Roscoe Wilfred

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.