Question

Suppose a scientist developed a hypothesis stating that a certain substance slowed down the growth of chili pepper plants. Briefly describe a controlled experiment
the scientist could conduct to test the hypothesis. Identify the controlled variables, the independent variable(s), and the dependent variable(s).

Answer 1

Answer:

The experiment consists of three different treatments:

1- Fifty (50) chili pepper plants treated with the substance X suspected to slow down the growth  

2- Fifty (50) no treated chili pepper plants that grown in normal conditions

3- Fifty (50) chili pepper plants treated with a substance known to slow down the growth (positive control)

Dependent variable: plant growth

Independent variable: the amount of substance x (suspected to slow down plant growth)  

Explanation:

The dependent variable is the variable that is being measured, while the independent variable isn't changed by the other variables in the experiment. In this case, the question is how chili pepper plants grow in response to the substance x, which is suspected to slow down the plant growth. During the experimentation, the plant growth will represent the dependent variable being analyzed. On the other hand, chili pepper growth will be in response to changes in the amount of substance x the plants receive, therefore being the independent variable.