You want to test the effect of sucralose on the growth of a plant. Design a study using the steps of the scientific method. What are the dependent and independent variables in this experiment?

Answers may vary. Here's one possible answer:

The scientific method design will consist of these steps:

Make observations: A sugar substitute was detected in the environment where the plant lives. Earlier studies have shown that the sugar substitute affects energy production in plants.

Ask questions: Would plants grow if the water contained the sugar substitute?

Construct a hypothesis and make predictions: Plants that are given plain water will grow taller than plants given water containing the sugar substitute.

Test the hypothesis: In the experiment, the independent variable will be the type of water the plants receive. The dependent variable will be the growth of the plant. Use two identical plants for the experiment. Give one plant water with the sugar substitute, and give the other plant plain water. Keep the plants in identical environments. Give each plant the same amount of water every day. Measure their growth over the course of three months.

Analyze the results and make a conclusion: After three months, analyze the data to see whether one plant grew taller than the other.

Test/Modify: If the hypothesis is proven right, repeat the experiment. If not, modify the hypothesis and design a new experiment.

Explanation:

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