Question

read the descriptions of two experiments below.
experiment 1: a student did a test to see if the hardness of the soil affects the growth of sunflowers. she used a control group and experimental groups. she repeated her experiment several times and found each time that the hardness of the soil did not affect the growth.
experiment 2: a student did a test to see if the temperature of water affects the growth of cacti. she used a control group and experimental groups. her data supported her hypothesis.
which experiment is more likely to be reliable, and why?
a. experiment 1, because it disproved the hypothesis
b. experiment 1, because it gave the same results every time
c. experiment 2, because its setup included a control group
d. experiment 2, because its results supported the hypothesis

Explanation:

• Reliability in experiments: Reliability refers to the consistency of results. When an experiment is repeated and gives the same results each time, it is more reliable.
• Experiment 1: Repeated several times with consistent results (soil hardness not affecting sunflower growth).
• Experiment 2: Only mentioned that data supported the hypothesis, no information about repetition.
• Control groups: Both experiments have control groups, so this is not a differentiating factor for reliability here.
• Hypothesis - result relation: Whether a hypothesis is supported or disproved does not directly relate to reliability. Reliability is about result consistency.

Answer:

B. Experiment 1, because it gave the same results every time