Source: Extra Practice

Imagine you observe that plants grow taller when given a certain type of fertilizer. Describe the steps you would follow, using the scientific method, to confirm if this fertilizer truly helps plants grow taller.

Model Answer

To confirm if a fertilizer helps plants grow taller, I would follow these steps:

  1. Observation: Notice that plants given a specific fertilizer appear to grow taller.
  2. Question: Does this specific fertilizer make plants grow taller?
  3. Hypothesis: If plants are given this specific fertilizer, then they will grow taller compared to plants without it.
  4. Experiment: Set up two groups of similar plants. Group A (experimental group) receives the fertilizer, and Group B (control group) does not. Both groups should have the same soil, water, sunlight, and pot size. Measure their heights regularly.
  5. Analysis: Compare the growth data (heights) of both groups over a period.
  6. Conclusion: Based on the data, determine if the hypothesis is supported (fertilizer helps plants grow taller) or refuted. If supported, I can conclude the fertilizer helps; if not, I might refine my hypothesis or experiment.

Explanation

Evaluates understanding of the scientific method steps: observation, question, hypothesis formulation, designing a controlled experiment, data analysis, and drawing a conclusion.