Question

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directions: read the following scenario and complete the questions below.
wonder has designed new packaging for their bread. they think the new packaging will prevent mold from growing on the bread so quickly. before releasing the new packaging on the commercial market, they conduct an experiment to see if it prevents mold in comparison to the normal packaging. for one month, 50 loaves of bread are observed in the new packaging and 50 loaves of bread are observed in the regular packaging. they record how much mold grows on each loaf. fill in the table below for the experiment.

hypothesis	example of evidence that would support the hypothesis

why was it important for wonder to have two groups, one with the new packaging, one with the old packaging?
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Explanation:

Hypothesis and Supporting Evidence

Hypothesis:

The new bread packaging will prevent mold from growing on the bread more effectively (i.e., result in less mold growth) than the regular packaging over the course of one month.

Example of evidence that would SUPPORT the hypothesis:

After one month of observation, the average amount of mold growth on the 50 loaves of bread in the new packaging is significantly less (e.g., measured by area of mold, thickness of mold layer, or visual rating scale) than the average amount of mold growth on the 50 loaves of bread in the regular packaging. For instance, if on a scale of 1 - 10 (1 = no mold, 10 = completely covered in mold), the average score for the new packaging group is 3 and for the regular packaging group is 7, this would support the hypothesis.

Importance of Two Groups

Having two groups (one with new packaging, one with old packaging) creates a control group (the old packaging group) and an experimental group (the new packaging group). This allows Wonder to compare the effect of the new packaging against the standard (old packaging) to determine if the new packaging actually reduces mold growth. Without a control group, it would be impossible to tell if any change in mold growth (or lack thereof) was due to the new packaging or other factors (like changes in storage conditions, bread recipe, or environmental factors during the month of observation). The control group provides a baseline for comparison, ensuring that the results can be attributed to the packaging change rather than other variables.

Answer:

• Hypothesis: The new bread packaging will prevent mold from growing on bread more effectively than the regular packaging over one month.
• Supporting Evidence Example: After one month, the average mold growth (e.g., area, thickness, or rating) on bread in new packaging is significantly less than in regular packaging (e.g., new: average mold score = 3; regular: average mold score = 7 on a 1–10 scale).
• Importance of Two Groups: The two groups (new vs. old packaging) create a control (old) and experimental (new) group. This allows comparison to determine if the new packaging reduces mold growth, as the control group provides a baseline to rule out other variables (e.g., storage conditions) affecting results.