Two scientists wanted to determine if temperature affects the growth of plants. They each prepared an experiment.
Scientist 1:
Take four plants and pot them in styrofoam coffee cups. Give them each the same amount of soil. Put one plant in a room at 68 degrees Fahrenheit, put the second in the basement where it is colder, put the third outside on a cloudy day, and put the fourth outside on a sunny day. Make sure to water the plants every day. See which plant grows better.
Scientist 2:
Take four 5 cm bean plants. Plant each plant in a 3 inch clay pot. Plant each one with 5 cm deep of soil. Use potting soil for all plants. Put the first plant in a room with a temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the second plant in a room with a temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the third plant in a room with a temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the fourth plant in a room with a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure each room has a humidity level
of 60%. Give all of the plants 12 hours of light per day with a 40 watt light bulb, 30 cm above the pots. Water each plant with 20 mL of tap water at noon each day. Measure the height of each plant with a metric ruler every two days. Record data for two weeks.
Which scientist prepared a better experiment? Why?
What, if anything, is wrong with the first scientists experiment?
What, if anything, is wrong with the second scientists experiment?