Answer:
B. Conduct the experiment.
Explanation:
The scientific method is a series of steps that researchers follow when they want to answer a specific question (hypothesis). This method consists of observation, question, experimentation, analysis, and generating a conclusion.
In this case, <u>the researcher already came up with a question</u>, which could potentially be: Does X fertilizer affect the growth of plants?
He <u>formulated a hypothesis,</u> for example: If X fertilizer is given to X plant species it will grow faster.
The next step is to <u>test the hypothesis by performing a series of experiments</u>. By applying fertilizer to half the plants and collecting data, the researcher is conducting the experiment that will be able to determine whether the results agree with his/her hypothesis.
Based on these results, the researcher will be able to <u>form a conclusion</u>.