Question

Determine whether the study depicts an observational study or an experiment. a scientist was studying the effects of a new fertilizer on crop yield. she randomly assigned half of the plots on a farm to group one and the remaining plots to group two. on the plots in group​ one, the new fertilizer was used for a year. on the plots in group​ two, the old fertilizer was used. at the end of the year the average crop yield for the plots in group one was compared with the average crop yield for the plots in group two.

Answer 1

This is a depiction of experiment. Experiments involve random assignments and manipulations. In this example, there is a experimental group and a control group. The independent variable, or the manipulation, is what fertilizer they used. Observational study doesn't involve manipulation. Scientists simply observe the participants and record information. They also try not to let the participants know their existence to avoid changes in their behaviors.