Students designed an experiment to determine how the fertilizer runoff from fields affects ponds. Students used two large outdoor tanks and planted the same variety and amount of aquatic plants in soil placed at the bottom. Students added local fish and samples of local pond water with microorganisms in each tank. One tank was left alone while the other tank had fertilizer added daily. The following table contains possible data sets for algae growth covering the surface of the tanks.
Algae Growth Possibilities
Data Set Control Tank
Algae Growth (%) Fertilizer Tank
Algae Growth (%)
A 0 0
B 5 90
C 90 5
D 90 90
Which data set most likely represents the results of the experiment after seven days?
A
Data Set A
B
Data Set B
C
Data Set C
D
Data Set D
1 answer
Data Set D most likely represents the results of the experiment after seven days. This is because the control tank had 90% algae growth, indicating that the aquatic plants were able to thrive in the conditions of the tank. In contrast, the tank with fertilizer added daily also had 90% algae growth, indicating that the fertilizer runoff had a significant impact on the algae growth in the tank.