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
Based on the data from the table, it can be observed that the plants in Group B, which were grown in containers with a deeper root space, had a greater average height compared to the plants in Group A, which had shallower containers.
In Week 1, the average height of plants in Group B was already higher than the average height of plants in Group A. As the weeks progressed, the average height of plants in Group B continued to increase at a faster rate than plants in Group A. By Week 6, the average height of plants in Group B reached 18 cm, while the average height of plants in Group A only reached 10 cm.
This suggests that the deeper root space provided by the containers in Group B allowed the plants to have better root development, which in turn resulted in greater overall growth. The deeper containers likely allowed for more room for root expansion, enabling the plants to access more nutrients and water from the soil.
To determine whether this effect was likely due to environmental or genetic factors, additional factors would need to be considered. In this investigation, the student ensured that both groups of plants received the same amount of water and sunlight, and grew in the same type of soil. Therefore, any differences in growth between the two groups can be attributed to the root space provided by the containers.
If the investigation was to include different types of soil or varying levels of sunlight or watering, then it would be necessary to assess whether these environmental factors played a role in the observed differences in plant growth. Additionally, if the plants used in the investigation were of different varieties or had genetic differences, it would be necessary to consider whether those factors influenced the results.
In this specific investigation, however, the effect of root space on plant growth can be confidently attributed to the environmental factor of container depth.