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 cubs shaped containers that were 3 centimeters deep. The plants in group B were grown in cubs shaped containers that were 10 centimeters deep. The table shows the students 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 students 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 (with deeper root space) consistently had a larger average height compared to the plants in group A (with shallower root space).
In week 1, the plants in group A had an average height of 2 cm, while the plants in group B had an average height of 3 cm. As the weeks progressed, the difference in height between the two groups became more pronounced. By week 6, the plants in group A had an average height of 10 cm, whereas the plants in group B had an average height of 18 cm.
This indicates that the availability of more root space had a positive effect on the plant growth. The deeper root space allowed the plants in group B to grow taller and potentially develop a more extensive and efficient root system, which likely enabled them to absorb more water and nutrients from the soil.
To determine whether the effect of root space on plant growth was likely due to environmental or genetic factors, further investigation and experiments would be required. One possible approach would be to repeat the experiment using different plant varieties and/or different environmental conditions (such as varying levels of sunlight or soil composition). If the same pattern of taller plants in group B persists across different plant varieties and environmental conditions, it would suggest that the effect is more likely due to genetic factors. However, if the effect varies depending on the plant variety or environmental conditions, it would indicate that the effect of root space on plant growth is more influenced by environmental factors.