In the mid-seventeenth century, Dutch scientist Jan Baptista van Helmont struggl

Question

In the mid-seventeenth century, Dutch scientist Jan Baptista van Helmont struggled to understand where plants get the material that allows them to grow larger. He planted a willow tree of a given weight in a fixed quantity of soil and then, five years later, weighed both the willow and the soil. He found that the tree had gained 164 pounds during the period but the soil had lost very little weight. His conclusion was that the willow's weight gain came solely from the water it absorbed through its roots. If you could be transported back to van Helmont's time, what would you tell him about the source of the willow's weight gain?

Explanation / Answer

If I could transported back to Van Helmont's time I will tell him that the Willow weight gains not only from the soil they are also capable of preparing their own food by a process called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a process of production of food materials by using light energy. Hence willow not only absorb water through the roots they also use Co2 from atmosphere and stores in the leaves to carry photosynthesis. By this process the willow's can prepair their own food by utilizing the water and minerals from the soil to gain weight and as well as thei growth.

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