It is possible to determine whether an element is essential by observing growth of plants

Options

A. in soil form which the particular element is removed
B. in soil in which only the particular element is present
C. in a inert medium to which solution of only the particular element is added
D. in a inert medium to which a nutrient solution excluding that particular element is added

Answer

To determine whether an element is essential for plant growth, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Essential Elements**:
- Essential elements are those that are necessary for the growth and development of plants. Their absence can lead to deficiency symptoms.

2. **Setting Up the Experiment**:
- To test the essentiality of an element, we need to create conditions where the plant can grow without that particular element. This helps us observe any deficiency symptoms that arise.

3. **Choosing the Right Medium**:
- The best way to observe the effects of removing an element is to use an inert medium. An inert medium does not provide any nutrients to the plant, allowing us to isolate the effects of the missing element.

4. **Using a Nutrient Solution**:
- Prepare a nutrient solution that contains all the essential elements except for the one we are testing. This ensures that the plant receives all other nutrients but is deprived of the specific element in question.

5. **Observing Growth and Symptoms**:
- Grow the plants in this inert medium with the nutrient solution lacking the specific element. Monitor the plants for any deficiency symptoms, which will indicate the importance of that element for growth.

6. **Conclusion**:
- If the plants exhibit deficiency symptoms, we can conclude that the element is essential for their growth.

### Final Answer:
The correct approach to determine if an element is essential is to grow plants in an inert medium with a nutrient solution that excludes that particular element. Therefore, the answer is: **In an inert medium to which a nutrient solution excluding that particular element is added.**

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