Which of the following is the proper way to apply the CSS code inside style.css to the home.html file?

Using the link element with the attributes rel and href is the proper way to apply CSS styles from an external file, such as style.css, to an HTML document like home.html. The rel attribute specifies the relationship between the current document and the linked resource, which in this case is a stylesheet. The href attribute indicates the path to the CSS file. This method allows the HTML document to load the styles defined in the CSS file, enabling consistent styling across the website.

The use of the style element, as presented in the first option, does not support the src attribute for linking to external stylesheets; it is intended for incorporating CSS directly in the HTML file. The option referencing "" is not a valid HTML syntax for linking CSS stylesheets. Lastly, the use of the script element is meant for JavaScript files, not for CSS, and thus incorrectly suggests linking CSS code in a manner designed for scripts.