Question

indoor houseplant growth measurements under different light conditions
light level average plant height (cm) average leaf area (sq cm)
high 24.3 11.6
medium 18.5 16.0
low 12.5 22.7
a student conducted an experiment to explore how light levels affect indoor houseplant growth. she grew many identical houseplant seedlings under three different light levels - low, medium, and high - for 8 weeks, making sure to keep all other growing conditions the same. afterward, she measured the height and leaf area of each plant and calculated averages for the different light conditions. she concluded that low light levels caused plants to invest more in leaf size than in vertical growth, while high light levels caused plants to invest more in vertical growth than in leaf size.
which choice best describes data in the table that support the students conclusion?
choose 1 answer:
a plants grown in high light had the tallest average height, while plants grown in low light had the shortest average height.
b plants grown in low light had the largest average leaf area and the shortest average height, while plants grown in high light had the tallest average height and the smallest average leaf area.
c plants grown in medium light had the smallest average leaf area and the smallest average height, while plants grown in low light had the largest average leaf area and the tallest average height.
d plants grown in high light had the smallest average leaf size, while plants grown in low light had the largest average leaf size.

Explanation:

The student's conclusion is about the trade - off between leaf size and vertical growth. Option B provides data on both leaf area and height for low and high light. For low light, it has the largest leaf area (22.7 sq cm) and the shortest height (12.5 cm). For high light, it has the tallest height (24.3 cm) and the smallest leaf area (11.6 cm). This directly supports the conclusion. Option A only talks about height. Option C has incorrect height data for low light (low light should have the shortest height, not the tallest). Option D only talks about leaf size.

Answer:

B. Plants grown in low light had the largest average leaf area and the shortest average height, while plants grown in high light had the tallest average height and the smallest average leaf area.