Step 1: Analyze Sentence A. "Before plants can take life from atmosphere, nitrogen must undergo transformations similar to ones that food undergoes in our digestive machinery."
This sentence introduces the need for nitrogen transformations and should be placed early.
Step 2: Analyze Sentence E. "One of the most dramatic examples in nature of ill wind that blows goodness is lightning."
This sentence sets up the specific example of lightning and connects well with the explanation that follows.
Step 3: Analyze Sentence C. "Lightning starts the series of chemical reactions that need to happen to nitrogen, ultimately helping it nourish our earth."
This follows directly after Sentence E, explaining the connection between lightning and nitrogen.
Step 4: Analyze Sentence D. "Nitrogen — an essential food for plants — is an abundant resource, with about 22 million tons of it floating over each square mile of earth."
This sentence provides additional context on the abundance of nitrogen, and it fits logically after Sentence C.
Step 5: Analyze Sentence B. "In its aerial form nitrogen is insoluble, unusable and is in need of transformation."
This sentence, providing a background on nitrogen’s state, fits logically after Sentence A and before the further explanation in Sentence C.
Step 6: Final Answer
The correct order is (c) ECDBA.
Final Answer: The correct answer is (c) ECDBA.