'A student sets up the following experiment........?

Question

I genuinely need help with this: "A student sets up the following experiment. She purchases 5 punnets of marigold seedlings and 3 pieces of different 'thickness' shade cloth. She pots up each marigold into individual pots and gives each a pinch of fertiliser. She divides the pots into 5 equal sized groups. She constructs a box out of each piece of shade cloth, places one group of pots in each and places them, side by side, in full sun position in the garden. She places another group, without any shade cloth, next to them and another group inside a garden shed where they will receive no direct light'.

a) Give a suitable hypotheses for the experiment.
b) Give two other environmental variables which might effect the outcome.
c) Suggest two ways to improve the accuracy of her experiment.

i'm really stuck on this so i'm hoping somebody can help me. :-) thankyou

Answer 1

the ones in direct sunlight should be healthier (greener). cloths w/ darker shade will absorb more light and be warmer (bad for plant) lighter shade will absorb less light and be cooler (good for plant). remember plants wants sunlight and it wants to keep itself cool, especially its roots.
my hypothesis is plants in sunlight will be healthier despite darker cloth (warm roots)
environmental variable: how much sunlight, how long is plant exposed to sunlight, how hot does it get, humidity ofcourse, and how dark is the cloths.
2 ways to improve accuracy: 1. more plants ( instead of 5, do 10)
2. repeat experiment with a different species of plant.

Answer 2

More sunlight, better growth. The prediction is that the plants in direct sunlight will do the best. The more shading, the less growth.

There are several environmental variables which might effect the outcome of the experiment. One is as simple as the size of the "pinch." Water will play a factor. The ambient weather (10 straight days of rain or a cold snap). Insects!!!

Controlled light and water, such as in a greenhouse. The plant "in the shed" could be placed in a light proof box with ventilation.

Answer 3

a) The success of seeds growth is directly proportional to the amount of direct sunlight to which it is submitted. (this hipothesis will use information from results of all groups)
b) humidity and temperature. ( the other 2 variables in plant growth)
c)control and maintain constant and equal temperature and humidity for all pots. (controling and eliminating the variables other than sunlight)