Death of a Pond Lab

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The hypothesis predicted that the runoff containing fertilizer water would cause the duckweed to grow faster but it was refuted because according to the data, the fertilizer water made the duckweed die. On the day the experiment began there were eight duckweed in the fertilizer water but at the end of the experiment (day four) there were six duckweed in the same water. This allows for the conclusion that the fertilizer water did not cause the duckweed in the pond to grow.

The independent variables in this experiment were the sugar, acid and fertilizer waters. The dependent variable in this experiment was how much the duckweed grows. The control group in this experiment was the duckweed without any solutions in the water/ the container with just pond water. A control group is necessary in order for comparison. A long term consequence on the health of the pond due to the amount of duckweed would be that aquatic life (such as fish, algae, tadpoles, etc.) would die and eventually cause the pond water level to decrease, slowing making the pond itself vanish.

Experimental errors that could affect the date were condition of the duckweed when they were put in to the different containers/runoffs. If the duckweed were already in bad condition when put into the containers the substances would cause no effect of the already dying duckweed. Another experimental error is the light received by the duckweed. If the light given off by the light source was too much for the duckweed then it doesn’t matter what substance the duckweed was in, they would still die. In this experiment the control group or the container with only pond water caused the duckweed to grow.

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