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 provided, it is clear that the plants in Group B, which had more root space (10 cm deep containers), showed consistently higher average heights compared to the plants in Group A (3 cm deep containers). The plants in Group B grew taller and faster throughout the six-week period, indicating that root space had a positive effect on plant growth.
To determine whether this effect was likely due to environmental or genetic factors, one could conduct further experiments. One approach could be to repeat the experiment with the same plant variety but varying the amount of sunlight or type of soil provided to each group. If the plants in Group B continue to show better growth despite differing environmental conditions, it would suggest that root space itself is the primary factor influencing the plants' growth. Another approach could be to repeat the experiment with different plant varieties but keeping the same root space conditions. If the difference in growth between the two groups remains consistent, it would suggest that the effect is likely due to root space rather than genetic differences between the two plant varieties.