An experiment was set up to investigate the growth of two varieties of pea plants, Palma and Vaspa - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 3 - 2009 - Paper 1
Question 3
An experiment was set up to investigate the growth of two varieties of pea plants, Palma and Vaspa. Two hundred plants of each variety were grown from seed for 10 we... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:An experiment was set up to investigate the growth of two varieties of pea plants, Palma and Vaspa - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 3 - 2009 - Paper 1
Step 1
Name the independent variable (also known as the experimental variable) in this experiment.
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Answer
The independent variable in this experiment is the variety of the pea plants, which includes Palma and Vaspa.
Step 2
Equal numbers of each type of seed were grown for the same amount of time. State one environmental variable that should be controlled in this experiment.
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Answer
One environmental variable that should be controlled is the amount of sunlight received by the plants, as differing light levels can affect plant growth.
Step 3
What difference in height exists between the tallest Palma and tallest Vaspa plants?
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Answer
To determine the difference in height between the tallest Palma and tallest Vaspa plants, we refer to the histograms. The tallest Palma measures 31 cm and the tallest Vaspa measures 22 cm. Therefore, the difference in height is 31 cm - 22 cm = 9 cm.
Step 4
Is height in pea plants controlled by one or many genes? Circle your answer and justify your choice.
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Height in pea plants is controlled by many genes. This is because plant height is a quantitative trait influenced by multiple genetic factors, rather than being determined by a single gene.