If you grew a plant with labeled atoms of carbon nitrogen hy

If you grew a plant with labeled atoms of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen, which of these sources would dominate the mass of the plant?

Solution

If we grew a plant with labeled atoms of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen,then carbon will dominate the mass of the plant.Plants use carbon dioxide to prepare their food in form of carbohydrates i.e glucose.Some of these carbohydrate is used by the plant for cellular respiration and to carry out various activities of the cell.The rest of the left over glucose molecules is used to form the structures of the plant such as leaves, roots, branches etc.The left over carbon is thus added to the plant which increases their mass.