I could buy 6 sunflower seeds and 6 flower pots. Planting 3 sunflower seeds in 3 pots of soil, and planting the other 3 sunflower seeds in 3 pots of sand. I also will water each plant every day and ensure each plant has the same amount of sunlight. Then I can measure the height of the sunflowers after one month.

What are the treatments in your experiment?
The treatment would be the soil or sand the plants grow in.

What is the response variable in your experiment?

The response variable in my experiment is the amount of plant growth

Where in your experiment would random selection occur?
Random selection occurs when the plants are chosen (from the location you are getting your plants from).

Where in your experiment would random assignment occur?
Random assignment occurs when the plants are assigned to solid or sand.

1 answer

Your experiment has a clear structure, and you've identified important components. Here’s a brief overview and clarification on the points you mentioned:

  1. Treatments in Your Experiment:

    • The treatment indeed refers to the type of growing medium used for the sunflower seeds, which are soil and sand.
  2. Response Variable:

    • Correctly stated, the response variable is the measure of plant growth, which you are quantifying by measuring the height of the sunflowers after one month.
  3. Random Selection:

    • Random selection refers to how you choose which sunflower seeds to use for your experiment. This implies that you would randomly select the seeds from a larger population to minimize bias in your sample.
  4. Random Assignment:

    • You are correct that random assignment occurs when you decide which seeds will be grown in soil and which will be grown in sand. This helps ensure that any differences in growth can be attributed to the type of medium rather than other factors.

Overall, your understanding of the experimental design elements is clear and accurate. Implementing random selection and random assignment enhances the validity of your experiment’s results.