Question

Maria and Sara wanted to see how light affects plant growth. They are growing a plant in class. They put their plant into a dark box with a small hole in the top of it. Then they put a bright light over the box. Predict how the plant will grow.

Answer 1

The plant in Maria and Sara's experiment will likely grow tall and spindly, similar to a plant grown in the dark, as it seeks to reach the limited light source due to phototropism.

Step-by-step explanation:

Maria and Sara's experiment aims to explore how light affects plant growth. With the plant placed in a dark box that has only a small hole for light, the prediction is that the plant will grow towards the light source due to a phenomenon known as phototropism.

This response is a plant's way of maximizing its exposure to light, which is crucial for photosynthesis. However, given the limited light, the plant may grow tall and spindly, similar to how it might grow in the dark, because it might not receive sufficient light quantity for a robust growth which usually requires fully illuminated environments. Such growth is indicative of the plant stretching to reach more light, often resulting in a weak and elongated stem.

Experiments like this one are a form of laboratory experiment studying plant growth. In science, such experiments are designed to test hypotheses and to understand the natural world better. These observations can, for instance, support the idea that light intensity and quality affect plant morphology and development.