Scenario+BT

Maggie's Plant Experiment

**Maggie //__read that some plants grow better if the soil is acidic__//**. She can't believe that a plant can grow when exposed to acid. Maggie decides to **__//test if the plants she has will grow better when acid is added to the soil//__.** She //__**puts potting soil in tow planting** **containers**__// and **//__t__////__ransplants two of her geraniums that seem about the same size into the pots.__//** She puts the **//__pots in the same location__//** so that **//__t__////__hey both get the same sunlight each day__//**, are at the **//__same temperature__//** and she makes sure they get the __//**same amount of water**//__. However, Maggie **__//puts a tablespoon of vinegar//__** **__// * //__** **__//in the water she gives to one of the plants//__**. She **//__measures the growth of the__// //__plants__// //__every__//** __week__ for **//__five weeks__//** and __//**records the results**//__ in a __//**data the table below**//__: *NOTE: Vinegar is a weak acid
 * = Week ||= Height of Plants with Vinegar (cm) ||= Height of Plants without Vinegar (cm) ||
 * = 1 ||= 10.0 ||= 10.0 ||
 * = 2 ||= 12.4 ||= 11.5 ||
 * = 3 ||= 14.8 ||= 13.0 ||
 * = 4 ||= 18.0 ||= 15.7 ||
 * = 5 ||= 21.4 ||= 17.8 ||

Complete each of the following: >
 * 1) Identify Maggie's hypothesis: Plants that grow in water with acid added wont gro as well as plants grown using plain water.
 * 1) Identify the independent variable: The scientist is changing the plain water to acidic water in his experiment.
 * 2) Identify the dependent variable: The hight of the plants
 * 3) Identify the other variables Maggie needs to consider/control during this experiment: The same amount of water. The same amount of sunlight. The same temperature. The same amount of acid. The same size acid. The same kind of acid. the same type of water. The same kind of soil, and the same amount of space.
 * 4) Identify the control group in this experiment: The plant that has no acid added.
 * 5) Identify the experimental group: changes the normal conditions and adds acid (vinegar) to the plant.
 * 6) What conclusions might Maggie draw from this data? She should conclude that the plants that have acid added to the water actually do grow better than plants without acid added, even though vinegar is a weak acid.
 * 7) What recommendations might you suggest for further study or for improvement? She could improve her study by using more plants for the experiment. She could also improve her experiment by using a different kind of acid. Another way she could improve is by using a stronger acid. Also she could improve her experiment by getting different people to try the experiment. Finally she could improve her experiment is by using a different type of plant.