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 more root space (10 centimeters deep), had consistently higher average heights compared to the plants in Group A.
In Week 1, the plants in Group B were taller than the plants in Group A by 3 centimeters. As the weeks progressed, the difference in average heights between the two groups became larger. By Week 6, the plants in Group B were 8 centimeters taller on average than the plants in Group A.
This indicates that having more root space in the containers positively affected the plant growth. The plants in Group B had more room for their roots to grow, allowing them to take up more water and nutrients from the soil. This, in turn, resulted in enhanced growth.
To determine whether the effect of root space on plant growth was likely due to environmental or genetic factors, additional factors need to be considered.
If the plants in both groups were genetically identical and the only difference was the root space, then the effect can be attributed to environmental factors. Environmental factors such as the availability of water, sunlight, and nutrients were kept the same for both groups, suggesting that the only significant difference was the root space.
However, if the plants in both groups were genetically different, it would be challenging to ascertain whether the observed effect was solely due to root space. Genetic factors could also have influenced the plant growth, making it difficult to isolate the effect of root space.
To effectively determine whether the effect was due to environmental or genetic factors, it would be necessary to conduct additional controlled experiments with the same genetic variety of plants, ensuring that all other environmental factors are kept constant except for the root space. By doing so, we can more confidently conclude whether the observed effect is primarily a result of root space or genetic factors.