Question

1. Mr. Smith wanted to see if the color of light shined on a plant had an effect on the number of

leaves it had. He gathered 2 groups of the same species of plants, gave them the same amount
of water, and did the test for the same amount of time. On one group of plants he used white
light. In the second group he changed the light color to red. Identify:
Independent variable:
Dependent variable:
Constants:
Control group (What would Mr. Smith use as a control group?):
Experimental group (what would Mr. Smith used as an experimental group?)

Answer 1

The independent variable is the color of light, the dependent variable is the number of leaves on the plants, constants include the plant species and watering conditions, the control group consists of plants under white light, and the experimental group consists of plants under red light.

Step-by-step explanation:

Understanding Variables in a Plant Growth Experiment

In Mr. Smith's experiment, the independent variable is the color of light used; specifically, white light versus red light. The dependent variable is the number of leaves on the plants, as this is the aspect of plant growth that the experiment aims to measure in response to the different light colors. Constants include factors such as the species of plants used, the amount of water given, and the duration of the experiment, since these conditions were kept the same across both groups of plants.

The control group in this setup would be the group of plants exposed to white light, as white light represents the normal lighting conditions and is thus considered the standard or baseline condition. On the other hand, the experimental group consists of the plants exposed to red light, because this is the variable condition being tested against the control.