Question

use the following information to answer items 1 through 3.
a student conducts an experiment to grow tomato plants and collects the following data.

fertilizer used	height after 60 days (in cm)	number of seeds planted	size of pot (in cm)
fertilizer b	31.75	5	15
fertilizer c	35.56	5	15

what question was the student most likely trying to answer with this experiment?

a how tall can different species of tomato plants grow?
b what size pot do tomato plants grow best in?
c how long does it take a tomato plant to flower?
d how does the type of fertilizer affect how fast a tomato plant grows?

Explanation:

• Option A: The experiment uses the same type of tomato plant (implied, as it's about fertilizer effect), so it's not about different species. Eliminate A.
• Option B: The pot size is constant (15 cm) for all, so the experiment isn't testing pot size. Eliminate B.
• Option C: The data focuses on height after 60 days, not flowering time. Eliminate C.
• Option D: The independent variable is fertilizer type (A, B, C), and the dependent variable is plant height (a growth measure). So the experiment tests how fertilizer type affects growth rate.

Answer:

D. How does the type of fertilizer affect how fast a tomato plant grows?