bot 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 the plants in Group B, which had more root space in the deeper containers, showed significantly greater growth compared to the plants in Group A. Throughout the 6-week observation period, the average height of the plants in Group B consistently exceeded that of the plants in Group A.
To determine whether this effect was likely due to environmental or genetic factors, one could conduct further experiments. For example, by switching the plants from Group A and Group B to different containers halfway through the experiment, one could see if the growth patterns switch as well. This would suggest that the difference in growth was due to the root space, as opposed to genetic factors.
Additionally, one could examine the root systems of the plants in each group to see if there is a correlation between root development and plant growth. If the plants in Group B have more extensive and healthier root systems, this could further support the idea that root space has a direct impact on plant growth.
In conclusion, the data from the student's investigation suggest that root space does have a significant effect on plant growth. Further experiments and observations could help confirm whether this effect is primarily due to environmental factors such as root space, or genetic factors inherent to the plant variety.