Van Helmonts Experiment

1. Look up "Quantitative" then explain why this experiment is described as quantitative.
- This experiment was described as quantitative because Helmont's experiment involved measuring, taking data and being careful and accurate which is why it's described as quantitative

2. Write a hypothesis for this experiment as though you believed plants ate soil.
- I think if the plant was eating the soil that would make the soil weigh less because the soil is being eaten away and the plant will grow more, but the soil will weigh less.

3. 3. Explain whether or not your hypothesis was right. Give evidence from the story.
- The hypothesis was incorrect because plants don't eat soil and this was proven because of the weight loss in 5 years is a gram which is barely anything which means there are other possible reasons why the soil weighed less in 5 years.

4. In what ways did Van Helmont try to control the variables of this experiment?
- The plants get the same amount of water each day, that it gets no sunlight, that no insects go near it and that the temperature of the place doesn't change.

5. If plants really did eat soil, what would have happened to the weight of the soil at the end?
- The weight of the soil would be really different and much less than 1 gram.

6. What might of happened to the 0.1 kg of soil which was missing at the end?
- It could have dissolved, dropped of the pot or the weight could've been inaccurate either when first weighed or the second time in 5 years weighed.

7. Where do plants really get their weight from? (Which molecules?)
- Water, sugar, glucose, nutrients, sunlight(energy), carbon dioxide and etc.

8. If you were to do this experiment, what might you do to make it better? (What might you do more of, or measure, and why?)
- I would do different experiments like with different amounts of soil weighed, different amount of sunlight, with different amount of soil and also vary the time it is left to grow as well as the amount and maybe measure the weight of things more frequently