Question

independent practice
in a study to determine the effectiveness of a new fertilizer, 100 tomato plants and 50 pepper plants are selected. the tomato plants are separated from the pepper plants. then, 50 of the tomato plants and 25 of the pepper plants are given water only and the other 50 tomato plants and 25 pepper plants were given the new fertilizer following the manufacturers recommendation for frequency. the total amount of tomatoes and peppers produced by each group was collected and weighed.
which term best describes the model selected for this study.
randomization
it is an experiment.
matched pairs design

Explanation:

• Randomization: There is no mention of random assignment of treatments (e.g., which tomato or pepper plants get water - only or fertilizer) in the description.
• Matched Pairs Design: A matched - pairs design usually involves pairing similar experimental units (e.g., pairing two tomato plants of similar size). Here, the plants are divided into two groups (tomato and pepper) and then split into treatment (fertilizer) and control (water - only) within each group, not in pairs.
• Experiment: An experiment is a study where the researcher manipulates a variable (in this case, the application of fertilizer - some plants get fertilizer, some get water - only). The goal is to determine the effect of the fertilizer (the manipulated variable) on the yield (the response variable).

Answer:

It is an experiment.