DIRECTIONS: Leaves do not really "turn" yellow in fall. Read what does happen, then answer.
The yellow was in the leaf in June. Green chlorophyll, which turns sunlight into food, hides the other colors all summer. In fall the tree stops making it, and the yellow and orange show through. Nothing turns; something stops covering.
Reds are the exception: they are made new in fall, and nobody is sure why.
Explain, in one sentence, why "the leaves turn yellow" is not quite the right way to say it.
Why does a tree stop making chlorophyll in autumn? Think about what chlorophyll is for and what autumn takes away.
The Color Was There All Along — Questions
The Year · Page 2 of 2
Evergreen trees keep their leaves and stay green all winter. What does that tell you about their leaves compared to an oak's?
The reds are made fresh in autumn and the yellows are not. If somebody told you they knew exactly why trees make red, what would you want them to show you?