Experimental technique

Controlled experiments exercise-2

Irene was asked to see how a fertiliser, ammonium nitrate, affected the growth of a particular plant. She potted four identical plants into four similar pots with the same soil and mulch. She gave 10 mls of water per day to plants "B" and "D". To plants "C" and "D" she added the recommended amount of fertiliser in liquid form.
A
B
C
D
No water added
No fertiliser
Water added
No fertiliser
No water
Fertiliser added
Water added
Fertiliser added
She recorded the height of each plant every 5 days. The results are shown in the table below.
Days
Height of plant A
(cm)
Height of plant B
(cm)
Height of plant C
(cm)
Height of plant D
(cm)
0
8
8
8
8
5
6
10
6
10
10
5
16
5
13
15
5
22
5
15
20
4
26
5
16

An independent variable in this experiment is


A dependent variable in this experiment is

Which setup acts as a control with which to test the influence of fertiliser on plant growth?

This type of plant grew best when