Assessment of Experimental Design on Algae Growth

Medium Research Summaries Experimental Design

A group of scientists conducted a study to determine how different concentrations of a nutrient solution affect the growth of a specific algae species. The researchers divided 30 identical algae cultures into three groups, each receiving varying concentrations of the nutrient: low, medium, and high. Over a period of four weeks, the group measured the growth of algae by tracking changes in the biomass at the end of each week. At the conclusion of the study, they calculated the average growth for each concentration group based on the biomass measurements.

The scientists reported that the medium concentration group showed the highest average growth, while the low concentration group exhibited the least growth.

Based on this experiment, which of the following statements best assesses the experimental design?

The study should have included a control group with no nutrients to compare the results.

The sample size of 30 algae cultures is appropriate for this study, providing a reliable average growth measurement.

The researchers should have measured growth more frequently than once a week to obtain more accurate results.

Varying the type of nutrient instead of the concentration would have yielded more informative data.

Hint

Submitted7.8K

Correct5.6K

% Correct72%