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.
(2 points)
Based on the data from the table, it is clear that plants in Group B, which had more root space, grew taller on average compared to plants in Group A. Throughout the 6-week period, plants in Group B consistently had greater heights than plants in Group A. This indicates that root space had a significant effect on plant growth, with plants having more space for their roots to grow showing better growth.
To determine whether this effect was likely due to environmental or genetic factors, the student could conduct further experiments by swapping the plant groups and observing how they grow. If the plants that were originally in Group B and had more root space still grow taller when moved to containers with less root space, it would suggest that the effect is likely due to genetic factors. On the other hand, if the plants that were originally in Group A and had less root space start to grow taller when given more root space, it would indicate that the environmental factor of root space is the primary influence on plant growth.