Plato Biology Semester A question unit 1

Question

In science class, Maria observes that a white-colored flower has shades of red when it’s watered with red-colored water. She forms a hypothesis that the color reaches the flower through the stem. What should Maria do to confirm the hypothesis?

Answer 1

Maria should test her hypothesis to confirm that the color reaches the flower through the stem. To test the hypothesis:

1. Maria should cut two white colored flowers from the same plant with long stems.
2. She should place one flower in a container with red-colored water and another in a container with plain water (no color). The second container with plain water is a control.
3. She should leave them undisturbed for a day and make observations after a few hours to confirm her hypothesis.
4. If she finds red streaks in the petals of the flower kept in the red-colored water, she can further confirm this by cutting open the stem of the flower to verify the presence of red coloration in the vascular tissue of the stem.

Conclusion:

Maria can confirm that the red-colored water travels through the stem to reach the flower, supporting her hypothesis if the red color is seen moving up through the stem into the petals.