Question

Question

A student investigated the effect of root space on plant growth. The student grew two groups of plants of the same variety. Both groups received the same amount of water and sunlight and grew in the same type of soil. The plants in Group A were grown in cube-shaped containers that were 3 centimeters deep. The plants in Group B were grown in cube-shaped containers that were 10 centimeters deep. The table shows the student's observations

Week Plant Group A (Average Height, cm) Plant Group B (Average Height, cm)
1 2 3
2 3 6
3 5 8
4 7 10
5 8 14
6 10 18
What was the effect of root space on plant growth based on the student's investigation? Use the data from the table to support your answer. Explain how you would know whether this effect was likely due to environmental or genetic factors.

(2 points)

Answer 1

Based on the student's investigation, it appears that root space had a significant effect on plant growth. The data shows that plants in Group A, which were grown in containers 3 centimeters deep, had lower average heights compared to plants in Group B, which were grown in containers 10 centimeters deep.

For example, at Week 6, the average height of plants in Group A was 10 cm, while those in Group B reached an average height of 18 cm. Over the course of the six weeks, the plants in Group A showed a maximum growth of 8 cm, whereas Group B experienced a greater growth of 15 cm. This indicates that the deeper containers provided more root space, which likely allowed the plants in Group B to access more nutrients and water, leading to enhanced growth.

To determine whether the observed effect was likely due to environmental or genetic factors, one could replicate the experiment while controlling for genetic variation by using clones or seeds from the same parent plants. Additionally, ensuring that all other environmental factors (such as light, water, and soil type) remain constant would help isolate the effect of root space. If similar trends are observed in replicated experiments, it would further support the conclusion that root space is a critical environmental factor influencing plant growth, rather than genetic differences.