Data Analysis Worksheet Background: One of the most | Chegg.com - Free Printable

Let's analyze the data in Table 1: Growth of eight plants in a three-week period and answer each question step by step.

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Question 1: In this plant growth experiment, what were the two variables tested?

Answer:
The two variables tested in this experiment are:

- Amount of light per day (in hours)
- Amount of water per day (in cups)

These are the independent variables being manipulated to observe their effect on plant growth (the dependent variable).

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Question 2: What conclusions can you draw in regards to the amount of light a plant was exposed to and how tall the plant grew?

Analysis:
Let’s look at the data grouped by light exposure:

| Light (hours/day) | Plants | Height after 3 weeks (cm) |
|-------------------|--------|----------------------------|
| 0 hours | Plant 1, Plant 2 | 0 cm, 0 cm |
| 4 hours | Plant 3, Plant 4 | 6 cm, 1.5 cm |
| 8 hours | Plant 5, Plant 6 | 8 cm, 6 cm |
| 16 hours | Plant 7, Plant 8 | 3 cm, 10 cm |

Observations:
- Plants receiving no light (0 hours) did not grow at all (0 cm).
- Plants with 4 hours of light showed some growth, but varied based on water.
- Plants with 8 hours of light grew well (6–8 cm).
- Plants with 16 hours of light had mixed results: one grew very well (Plant 8: 10 cm), but another (Plant 7) only reached 3 cm.

Conclusion:
There is a positive correlation between light exposure and plant growth, up to a point. However, too much light (16 hours) may not always lead to better growth if other factors (like water) are not optimal. The best growth occurred with 8 to 16 hours of light, but light alone does not determine growth—water also plays a crucial role.

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Question 3: What conclusions can you draw in regards to the amount of water given to a plant and how tall the plant grew?

Analysis:
Now let’s group the data by water amount:

| Water (cups/day) | Plants | Height after 3 weeks (cm) |
|------------------|--------|----------------------------|
| ¼ cup | Plant 1, Plant 3, Plant 5, Plant 7 | 0, 6, 8, 3 |
| 1 cup | Plant 2, Plant 4, Plant 6, Plant 8 | 0, 1.5, 6, 10 |

Observations:
- Plants with ¼ cup of water:
- Plant 1 (0 light): no growth
- Plant 3 (4 hrs light): 6 cm
- Plant 5 (8 hrs light): 8 cm
- Plant 7 (16 hrs light): 3 cm
- Plants with 1 cup of water:
- Plant 2 (0 light): no growth
- Plant 4 (4 hrs light): 1.5 cm
- Plant 6 (8 hrs light): 6 cm
- Plant 8 (16 hrs light): 10 cm

Conclusion:
Plants that received more water (1 cup) generally grew taller than those with less water (¼ cup), especially when combined with sufficient light. For example:
- Plant 8 (1 cup water + 16 hrs light) = 10 cm (highest)
- Plant 5 (¼ cup water + 8 hrs light) = 8 cm
- Plant 4 (1 cup water + 4 hrs light) = only 1.5 cm → shows that even with more water, limited light limits growth.

So, more water supports better growth, but only when adequate light is also provided.

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Question 4: Describe which plant or plants did the best and develop a hypothesis on plant growth based on the date you examined.

Best Performing Plant(s):
- Plant 8 grew the tallest: 10 cm in 3 weeks.
- It received 16 hours of light per day and 1 cup of water per day.
- Other high performers:
- Plant 5: 8 cm (8 hrs light, ¼ cup water)
- Plant 3: 6 cm (4 hrs light, ¼ cup water)
- Plant 6: 6 cm (8 hrs light, 1 cup water)

But Plant 8 clearly outperformed all others.

Hypothesis Based on Data:
> Plant growth is maximized when both light and water are provided in sufficient amounts.
> Specifically, optimal growth occurs with long durations of light (around 16 hours) combined with adequate water (1 cup per day).
> However, without sufficient light, even ample water does not promote growth, and without water, even light cannot support growth.
> Therefore, both light and water are essential and interact to influence plant height, suggesting that plant growth depends on a balance of these two resources.

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✔ Final Summary:

1. Variables tested: Amount of light and amount of water.
2. Light conclusion: More light generally increases growth, but too much without proper water may not help.
3. Water conclusion: More water supports better growth, especially with sufficient light.
4. Best plant: Plant 8 (10 cm), with 16 hrs light and 1 cup water.
- Hypothesis: Optimal plant growth requires both sufficient light (e.g., 16 hours) and adequate water (e.g., 1 cup per day).

This experiment demonstrates that multiple variables interact to affect plant growth, and neither light nor water alone determines success—they work together.