How many elements have been found to be essential for plants ?

Options

A. 8
B. 60
C. 17
D. 9

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Essential Elements**: Plants require certain elements to grow and develop properly. These elements are categorized into two groups: macronutrients and micronutrients.

2. **Macronutrients**: These are elements that plants need in larger quantities. There are a total of **9 macronutrients** essential for plant growth. The macronutrients are:
- Carbon (C)
- Hydrogen (H)
- Oxygen (O)
- Nitrogen (N)
- Phosphorus (P)
- Potassium (K)
- Calcium (Ca)
- Sulfur (S)
- Magnesium (Mg)

3. **Micronutrients**: These are elements that plants require in smaller amounts. There are **8 micronutrients** essential for plant growth. The micronutrients are:
- Iron (Fe)
- Chlorine (Cl)
- Manganese (Mn)
- Zinc (Zn)
- Copper (Cu)
- Boron (B)
- Molybdenum (Mo)

4. **Total Essential Elements**: To find the total number of essential elements for plants, we add the number of macronutrients and micronutrients together:
- Total = Number of Macronutrients + Number of Micronutrients
- Total = 9 (macronutrients) + 8 (micronutrients) = **17 essential elements**.

5. **Conclusion**: Therefore, the total number of elements that have been found to be essential for plants is **17**.

---