Name: _____________________ Date: ______________________
Graphing and Data Analysis Worksheet
Introduction: A
mycorrhiza is a mutualistic relationship between fungal hyphae and the roots of true plants. The fungal
hyphae increase the absorptive surface area of the roots of the plant by aiding in the absorption of
water, phosphorus, and other mineral ions from the soil to the roots of the plant. The plant is
photosynthetic and provides the fungus with carbohydrates.
An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of mycorrhizal associations on plant growth. Two
groups of plants were grown. One group was planted in soil that had been sterilized. The other group
was planted in the same type of soil, but the soil had not been sterilized. All other factors remained the
same between the two groups. The plants were allowed to grow for 8 weeks. Each week, the height (in
centimeters) of each plant was measured. The picture below shows the plants after 8 weeks of growth.
The data table provides quantitative data on the growth of the plants over the 8-week period. Plot the
data from the experiment on the graph below and then answer the questions provided.
Week Plants Grown in Plants Grown in
Sterilized Soil Non-sterilized Soil
1 0.8 cm 2.0 cm
2 1.5 cm 5.5 cm
3 2.0 cm 8.7 cm
4 2.3 cm 10.0 cm
5 2.4 cm 12.0 cm
6 3.8 cm 16.2 cm
7 5.0 cm 19.1 cm
8 6.0 cm 25.0 cm
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Aim of the Experiment:
What trends are visible
in the data?
Describe the shape of
the graph
Write a claim based on
this data
What evidence from the
graph supports your
claim?
