About 200 years ago, Jan Baptista van Helmont wondered how growing plants obtained the materials necessary for growth. 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. Of course he was incorrect. What really happened?

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The Answer of About 200 years ago, Jan Baptista van Helmont wondered how growing plants obtained the materials necessary for growth. 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. Of course he was incorrect. What really happened?

About 200 Years Ago, Jan Baptista Van Helmont Wondered How