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 can be concluded that the plants in Group B, which had more root space (10 cm deep containers), grew taller on average compared to the plants in Group A, which had less root space (3 cm deep containers). Throughout the 6 weeks of observation, the plants in Group B consistently had higher average heights than the plants in Group A.
To determine whether this effect was likely due to environmental or genetic factors, the student could conduct further experiments by swapping the plants between the two groups and observe if the plant growth patterns remain the same. If the plants that were originally in Group B continue to grow taller after being transferred to Group A and vice versa, then the effect of root space on plant growth is likely due to environmental factors such as root space availability. However, if the plants return to their original growth patterns after being transferred, then genetic factors may be at play.
shorter
Based on the data from the table, it can be observed that the plants in Group B, which had more root space (10 cm deep containers), consistently grew taller on average compared to the plants in Group A, which had less root space (3 cm deep containers). This indicates that the amount of root space provided to the plants had a significant effect on their growth.
To determine whether this effect was likely due to environmental or genetic factors, the student could conduct further experiments by providing all plants with the same amount of root space but varying other environmental factors such as light intensity or soil composition. If the plants' growth patterns change with variations in these environmental factors, then it would suggest that the influence of root space on plant growth is primarily due to environmental factors. On the other hand, if the growth patterns remain consistent regardless of environmental changes, it may indicate a genetic influence on plant growth in response to root space availability.