About 200 years ago, Jan Baptista van Helmont wanted to know where growing plant

Question

About 200 years ago, Jan Baptista van Helmont wanted to know where growing plants       get the materials necessary for increases in size. He planted a tree seedling weighing 5 pounds in a barrel filled with 200 pounds of soil and then watered the tree regularly.    After five years, the tree weighed 169 pounds, 3 ounces, and the soil weighed 199 pounds, 14 ounces. Because the tree had gained so much weight and the soil      had lost so little, he concluded that the tree had gained all of its additional weight by absorbing the water he had added to the barrel. Was he correct in his conclusion? Please explain your answer.

Explanation / Answer

The plant has a well developed root system that helps it in absorbing water and gain weight and mass. However it is not the water that allows it to gain mass but it helps in various metabolism processes. The mass or the weight of the tree is increased largely by the carbon which comes from the carbon dioxide that is used during the process of photosynthesis. The plant is able to convert the sun energy into chemical energy and it ends up becoming food molecules called glucose needed for the growth of the plant.

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