Question

jan baptista van helmont performed an important experiment related to photosynthesis. he weighed a small willow tree and a pot of soil. jan then planted the tree in the pot. over the course of five years, he added only water to the pot. at the end of five years, he weighed the tree and found that it had gained 74.4 kg. he weighed the soil, and it was only 57 g less. what do the results of this specific experiment demonstrate about what is needed for a plant to grow and increase its mass?
multiple choice
all of the food a plant needs to grow comes from the soil
plants must be able to increase their mass using substances in addition to what is found in soil
all of the food a plant needs to grow comes from the water
plants do not need soil to grow
plants need oxygen to grow

Explanation:

The tree gained a significant amount of mass (74.4 kg) while the soil lost only a negligible amount (57 g). Since only water was added, this shows that plants must use substances other than what is in the soil to increase their mass. It doesn't prove that all food comes from water as other factors like air - carbon dioxide for photosynthesis are also involved. And it doesn't mean plants don't need soil at all or that they need oxygen in the way this experiment implies.

Answer:

Plants must be able to increase their mass using substances in addition to what is found in soil