Problem 4. A manufacturer of plant fertilizers claims that one of its products m

Question

Problem 4. A manufacturer of plant fertilizers claims that one of its products makes "juicier and tastier" tomatoes. A consumer protection agent would like to test such a claim by studying 24 tomato plants on three levels of the fertilizer: control with no fertilizer, half of the suggested dose, and full suggested dose. All the tomatoes are planted in either the garden frequently irrigated or the one with no irrigation. The juiciness and tastiness of tomatoes are judged on a likert scale from 1 to 10.

a. Is this study an observational study or an experimental one? Ans. Experimental study

b. What are the factors in this study? Ans. Fertilizer and irrigation

c. What are the response variable in this study? Ans. Juiciness and taste

d. What are the treatments in this study? Control and no water, 1/2 dose and no water, full dose and no water; Control and water, 1/2 dose and water, full dose and water;

Please show how to get each of these answers. Thank you so much

Explanation / Answer

a. Is this study an observational study or an experimental one? Ans. Experimental study

In an experiment investigators apply treatments to experimental units (people, animals, plots of land, etc.) and then proceed to observe the effect of the treatments on the experimental units.

In the problem, treatments like dose of fertilizers and irrigation is applied to toamto plants (experimental units) and then proceed to observe the effect of the treatments on the experimental units. So this is an experimental study.

b. What are the factors in this study? Ans. Fertilizer and irrigation

The factors in the study should be the types of treatments done to the experimental units to observe their effects.

So, the treatment factors in the experiment are Fertilizers and irrigation.

c. What are the response variable in this study? Ans. Juiciness and taste

The response variable is the output of the study which we are measuring in different treatment conditions.

We are measuring juiciness and tastiness of tomatoes on likert scale. So, the response variable is Juiciness and taste.

d. What are the treatments in this study? Control and no water, 1/2 dose and no water, full dose and no water; Control and water, 1/2 dose and water, full dose and water;

There are two treatments factors - Fertlizer and irrigation .

The levels of Fertilizer treatment are 1. Control with no fertilizer, 2. Half of the suggested dose, and 3. Full suggested dose.

The levels of Irrigation treatment are 1. Frequently irrigated (Water) 2. No irrigation (no water)

So, there are 3x2 = 6 combinations of these levels.

1. Control with no fertilizer and No irrigation (no water)

2. Half of the suggested dose and  No irrigation (no water)

3. Full suggested dose and No irrigation (no water)

4. Control with no fertilizer and Frequently irrigated (Water)

5. Half of the suggested dose and  Frequently irrigated (Water)

6. Full suggested dose and Frequently irrigated (Water)

The above 6 combinations of these levels are the treatments levels in this study.

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