sunlight is a kind of solar energy & photosynthesis means green plants convert from carbon dioxide and water and solar energy into carbohydrates and food and oxygen for themselves ->  photosynthesis means green plants convert from carbon dioxide and water and sunlight into carbohydrates and food and oxygen for themselves  if a process converts something into something else, then that something is a raw material in that process & photosynthesis is a kind of process ->  if photosynthesis converts something into something else then that something is a raw material in photosynthesis  photosynthesis means green plants convert from carbon dioxide and water and sunlight into carbohydrates and food and oxygen for themselves & if photosynthesis converts something into something else then that something is a raw material in photosynthesis ->  in the photosynthesis process sunlight has the role of raw material  photosynthesis is a kind of process & if something has the role of raw material in a process then that something is required for that process ->  if something has the role of raw material in photosynthesis then that something is required for photosynthesis  in the photosynthesis process sunlight has the role of raw material & if something has the role of raw material in photosynthesis then that something is required for photosynthesis ->  a plant requires sunlight for photosynthesis  a plant requires sunlight for photosynthesis & a leaf performs photosynthesis ->  a leaf requires sunlight to perform photosynthesis  if something is required for a process then that something must be obtained for that process & absorbing something is a kind of method for obtaining something ->  if something is required for a process then that something can be absorbed for that process  a leaf requires sunlight to perform photosynthesis & if something is required for a process then that something can be absorbed for that process ->  a leaf absorbs sunlight to perform photosynthesis  a leaf absorbs sunlight to perform photosynthesis & photosynthesis makes food for the plant by converting carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight into carbohydrates -> a leaf absorbs sunlight to make food