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. pls help
Based on the student's investigation, it can be observed that the plants in group b, which were grown in containers with deeper root space (10 cm), displayed a greater average height compared to the plants in group a, which were grown in containers with shallower root space (3 cm).
Week by week, the plants in group b consistently displayed greater growth in height compared to the plants in group a. For example, in week 1, the average height of group b was 2 cm, while group a was only 1 cm. This pattern continued throughout the experiment, with the difference in height between the two groups increasing each week.
This indicates that root space had a positive effect on plant growth. The additional depth in the containers provided more room for root development, allowing the plants in group b to grow larger and taller.
To determine whether this effect was likely due to environmental or genetic factors, additional measures could be taken. For instance, if the experiment were to be repeated with the groups swapped (group a grown with deeper containers and group b grown with shallower containers), and the same results were obtained, this would strongly suggest that the root space had a significant impact on plant growth. This would imply that environmental factors related to root development, such as the ability to establish a strong root system, were responsible for the observed differences.
Alternatively, if the groups were grown under controlled laboratory conditions, eliminating any possible variations in environmental factors, and the same growth pattern was observed (with group b consistently growing taller), it could indicate that genetic factors also played a role in the plant growth. In this case, it would suggest that certain genetic traits or adaptations allowed the plants in group b to take better advantage of the available root space.
In conclusion, the investigation indicated that root space had a positive effect on plant growth, with plants provided with deeper containers achieving greater heights. Further experimentation and control measures can help determine the extent to which environmental and genetic factors contributed to these findings.