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 fas wfaster and taller than they grew in unfertlized 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. What’s the student’s scientific question?