Jan Baptista Van Helmont Did an Important Experiment Related to Photosynthesis

Jan Baptista van Helmont did 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?

A) Plants must be able to increase their mass using substances in addition to what is found in soil.
B) Plants need oxygen to grow.
C) All of the food a plant needs to grow comes from the soil.
D) Plants do not need soil to grow.
E) All of the food a plant needs to grow comes from the water.