Bob decided to see how light intensity affects flower buds opening in a particular species of plant known as Watsonias that is found in the Mediterranean-climate region.

He built four outside enclosures for the Watsonias:

- The first one was covered with one layer of green shade cloth.
- The second one was covered with two layers.
- The third one with three layers.
- The fourth one with four layers.

Watsonias flower in spring to early summer, so Bob did his experiment in October with flowers that he bought from the nursery.

- In each enclosure, Bob put five identical pots of Watsonias.
- Each pot had a single Watsonia plant which was 20 cm high and had no open flowers.
- Each enclosure was placed on his lawn in full sun.
- At the end of each week, he counted the total number of flowers open in each enclosure and recorded his results.

His results are shown in the table below.

\begin{tabular}{|l|c|c|c|c|}
\hline
\multicolumn{5}{|l|}{\begin{tabular}{l}
Number of flower buds opening on Watsonia plants in four different \\
enclosures over four weeks in October
\end{tabular}} \\
\hline
Enclosure No. & Week 1 & Week 2 & Week 3 & Week 4 \\
\hline
[tex]$1(25 \%$[/tex] shade [tex]$)$[/tex] & 4 & 7 & 17 & 29 \\
\hline
[tex]$2(50 \%$[/tex] shade) & 2 & 5 & 9 & 15 \\
\hline
[tex]$3(75 \%$[/tex] shade) & 0 & 3 & 4 & 7 \\
\hline
4 (100\% shade) & 0 & 0 & 0 & 3 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

2.1.1 State the

a. Dependent variable: [tex]$\qquad$[/tex]

b. Independent variable: [tex]$\qquad$[/tex]

2.1.2 Bob's experiment demonstrates several good practices in ensuring validity and reliability.

a. Name two good practices ensuring the validity of the experiment:
[tex]$\qquad$[/tex]
[tex]$\qquad$[/tex]

b. Name two good practices ensuring the reliability of the experiment:
[tex]$\qquad$[/tex]
[tex]$\qquad$[/tex]

2.1.3 In which biome will the Watsonia plant mostly be found? [tex]$\qquad$[/tex]



Answer :

Sure! Let's tackle each part of the question step by step.

### 2.1.1
a. Dependent variable:
The dependent variable is the variable that is measured or observed in an experiment. In Bob's experiment, the dependent variable is the number of flower buds opening.

b. Independent variable:
The independent variable is the variable that is changed or controlled in an experiment to test its effects on the dependent variable. In this case, the independent variable is the shade percentage, which is manipulated through the number of shade cloth layers.

### 2.1.2
Bob's experiment demonstrates several good practices in ensuring validity and reliability:

a. Name two good practices ensuring the validity of the experiment:
1. Use of identical pots and plants: This practice ensures that all plants are subjected to identical growth conditions other than the manipulated variable (shade percentage), reducing variability that might otherwise affect results.
2. Conducting the experiment simultaneously in identical enclosures: By doing the experiment at the same time and in identical setups, Bob minimizes the impact of external environmental variables that could differently affect each enclosure.

b. Name two good practices ensuring the reliability of the experiment:
1. Repeated measures (weekly counts of open flowers): By counting the number of open flowers at the end of each week, Bob increases the reliability of his results through consistent long-term observation.
2. Multiple enclosures with varying shade levels but otherwise identical conditions: Having multiple enclosures with only the shade level varying ensures that the results are reproducible and consistent, contributing to the reliability of the experiment.

### 2.1.3
In which Biome will Watsonia plant mostly be found?
The Watsonia plant is mostly found in Mediterranean-climate regions. This type of biome is characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters, which is suitable for the growth of Watsonias.

By addressing each of these points, we've provided a comprehensive and detailed solution to each part of the question.