Experimental design
- Question – Does fertilizer make flowers grow faster and
larger?
Hypothesis – Fertilizer makes
flowers grow faster and larger.
- To collect data, I will have 4 plants that only get
water and 4 plants that get a fertilizer mixture. I will measure the height in
cm and count leaves and buds for each plant.
- My treatments will be the 4 plants that receive a
fertilizer mixture.
- My controls will be the 4 plants that receive only
water.
- Step by step procedure – I will take 8 flower pots and
plant 8 flowers of the same species in the same kind of soil. I will water 4
of these plants with only water and the remaining 4 with a fertilizer mixture.
I will then take measurements every two days of the height of each plant using
an ordinary ruler to the nearest cm. I will also count and record the number
of leaves and buds on each flower.
- At the end of my experiment, I will plot my data using
line graphs the compare height, number of buds and number of leaves between my
treatment group and control group.
- I assume that my treated group will grow faster and
larger than my control group based on past experience and research. I will
know my assumptions are not met if the treated group is not larger by the end
of my experiment.
- Materials needed are: 8 flower pots, eight flowers of
the same kind, potting soil, water, fertilizer, ruler (with ability to measure
in cm), paper and pencil.