Scientists for NASA are working on a portable farming system for future missions. It was observed, if the roots are completely submerged in water, or over-watered, the plants tended to die. What would be a simple experiment to examine this hypothesis?

Question

Don't over-water a group of plants and see if they live.

Over-water a group of plants and compare it to an equal group of plants that are watered normally.

Over-water another plant and see if it dies.

Over-water a group of plants and compare it to one plant that is watered normally.

Answer 1

A suitable simple experiment to examine the hypothesis would be the following:

1. Set up two groups of plants, each containing the same number of the same plant species. Group A will be the experimental group, and Group B will be the control group.

2. For Group A (experimental group), provide an excessive amount of water, completely submerging the roots. Make sure to keep the conditions identical for all plants in this group.

3. For Group B (control group), water the plants normally, ensuring that they receive the appropriate amount of water required for their growth and well-being. Again, maintain identical conditions for this group as well.

4. Monitor the progress of both groups of plants over a specific period (e.g., a few weeks), making observations on their growth, overall health, and survival rates.

5. Record and compare the results between the two groups. If the hypothesis is correct, it is expected that the plants in Group A (over-watered) will exhibit higher mortality rates or poor growth compared to the control group plants in Group B.

6. Analyze the data collected to determine the correlation between the excess water and the health/survival of the plants, which will help validate or disprove the hypothesis.

Remember to ensure that all other variables (such as light exposure, temperature, soil type, plant species, etc.) are maintained constant between the two groups to prevent confounding factors from influencing the results.