Photo AI
A student investigates the effect of nutrients on the growth of plants as shown in the picture - Leaving Cert Agricultural Science - Question Question 1 - 2022
Question Question 1
A student investigates the effect of nutrients on the growth of plants as shown in the picture. (a) Suggest one type of qualitative data and one type of quantitativ... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A student investigates the effect of nutrients on the growth of plants as shown in the picture - Leaving Cert Agricultural Science - Question Question 1 - 2022
Step 1
Suggest one type of qualitative data and one type of quantitative data the student could record when carrying out this investigation.
Answer
For qualitative data, the student could record the color of the leaves (e.g., green, yellow, or brown), which would help in determining the health of the plants.
For quantitative data, the student could measure the height of the plants in centimeters, providing a numerical value that reflects their growth.
Step 2
Explain what is meant by the term biomass.
Answer
Biomass refers to the total mass of living organisms in a given area or volume. It includes all the organic matter in a plant, such as leaves, stems, roots, and flowers, and is an important measure in understanding energy flow in an ecosystem. Biomass is often expressed in terms of dry weight to account for the water content in organisms.
Step 3
Outline how the student could measure the biomass of the plant samples.
Answer
To measure the biomass of the plant samples, the student could follow these steps:
- Harvest the plant samples at the end of the experiment.
- Wash the samples to remove any soil or debris.
- Dry the samples in an oven at a specific temperature (usually around 60-70°C) until they reach a constant weight.
- Once dried, weigh the samples using a balance to obtain the dry biomass, which provides an accurate measure of the total mass of the plant material.