Josey wants to find out if environmental factors can affect how tall a pea plant will grow. She has designed two possible experiments to try to answer her question.

Question

Experiment 1 Experiment 2
1. Place two similar pea plants indoors by a window. 1. Place two pea plants of different varieties outside in a sunny garden.
2. Give both plants water every day, and give one of the plants fertilizer twice a week. 2. Give both of the pea plants water every day and fertilizer twice a week.
3. Continue step 2 for one month. 3. Continue step 2 for one month.
4. Measure the growth of each plant to determine which grew more. 4. Measure the growth of each plant to determine which grew more.

Which statement best describes these experiments?
A.
Experiment 2 will answer Josey's question better than experiment 1.
B.
Experiment 1 will answer Josey's question better than experiment 2.
C.
Both experiments can answer Josey's question.
D.
Neither experiment can help Josey answer her question.

Answer 1

The best statement that describes these experiments is:

C. Both experiments can answer Josey's question.

Both experiments aim to evaluate the impact of environmental factors—specifically, the conditions of light and outdoor versus indoor settings—on the growth of pea plants. Experiment 1 tests the effect of light conditions by placing plants indoors, while Experiment 2 evaluates growth in an outdoor setting. Each experiment provides valuable insights into how different environments might affect plant height.