This is a rather subjective question and has a lot to do with the type of society in which one lives. the more secular the world is becoming... gives science a huge spotlight on the stage. because science provides an answer with tons of evidence to back it up, it is seen as a reliable method to follow. So, socially speaking you may have experienced in a normal conversation where someone turns around and tells you that your opinions are just opinions and have nothing factual to back them up. This is where science comes in. Economically and politically speaking, science is used to justify different political aims of governments. However, this is done mostly through the misrepresentation of science by people who are trying to pursue their own agenda. So really this question can be answered in many ways and from many different perspectives but do not forget that science influences all streams for the better but also for the worse in the way in which it is represented.
Hope that helped
Answer:
The growth of the plants is the dependent variable, the stuff added to each plant is the independent variable, the plants that don't receive treatment/other stuff are control variables.