To see how nutrients affect plant growth in a pond, Kayla sections the pond into three zones and makes one the control where she doesn’t add extra nutrients. What type of field investigation would this MOST likely be, and why?

Question

To see how nutrients affect plant growth in a pond, Kayla sections the pond into three zones and makes one the control where she doesn’t add extra nutrients. What type of field investigation would this MOST likely be, and why?

A. an experimental investigation because it manipulates variables
B. a comparative investigation because it has different zones
C. an experimental investigation because it has different zones
D. a comparative investigation because it manipulates variables

Answer 1

A. an experimental investigation because it manipulates variables

This is the most likely answer because Kayla is manipulating the presence of nutrients in each zone to observe how it affects plant growth. By having a control zone where no extra nutrients are added, she can compare the growth of plants in the other two zones to determine the impact of the added nutrients. This is a classic example of an experimental investigation where variables are intentionally manipulated to observe the effects.