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
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.
Based on the observations in the table, the effect of root space on plant growth can be observed. In Group A, where the plants were grown in containers with only 3 centimeters of root space, the average height and number of leaves for the plants are significantly lower compared to Group B, where the plants were grown in containers with 10 centimeters of root space.
This suggests that root space has a positive effect on plant growth. With more space for root development, the plants in Group B were able to grow taller and produce more leaves compared to the plants in Group A.
To determine whether this effect is likely due to environmental or genetic factors, additional experiments or observations would be needed. One way to investigate this would be to conduct the same experiment with plants of a different variety to see if the results are consistent. If the plants of a different variety also exhibit similar growth patterns, it would indicate that the effect is likely due to environmental factors such as root space.
Additionally, if the experiment is repeated and the plants in Group B are grown in containers with a limited amount of root space (e.g., 3 centimeters), and still produce higher growth compared to Group A, it would further suggest that the effect is due to genetic factors.
Overall, further experimentation or observation can help confirm whether the effect of root space on plant growth is primarily due to environmental or genetic factors.