Activity Many farmers and gardeners compost their plant and animal waste. The
living material naturally decays in compost bins, forming a dirt-like
substance that's rich in nutrients. The next season, farmers use this
substance as a natural fertilizer for their crops.
A biology student has grown tomato plants for several years. Until now, he
used an artificial fertilizer formulated for tomato plants. This fertilizer
caused his plants to grow faster and taller than they grew in unfertilized
soil. The student wants to know whether using natural compost will cause
his tomato plants to grow faster and taller than his artificial fertilizer.
Answer the following questions to plan an investigation using the steps of
the scientific method and help the student find the answer to his question.
Part B what’s the student’s scientific question