Saline soils have a higher water potential than plant roots.

Question

Answer the following statement true (T) or false (F)

Answer 1

False

Clarify Question
• What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        o This question is asking about how water potential is affected by saline soil.
• What type of thinking is required?
        o You are being asked to take what you already know and apply it to the water potential of a new soil type.
• What key words does the question contain and what do they mean?
        o Saline, which refers to something that contains salt.
        o Water potential, which is the relative proportion of water.

Gather Content
• What do you already know about how water potential is affected by saline soil? How does it relate to the question?
        o As solute concentration increases, water potential decreases.
        o Water flows from areas of higher water potential to areas of lower water potential.
        o If roots have lower water potential than the soil, water flows into the roots.

Consider Possibilities
• What other information is related to the question? Which information is most useful?
        o Saline is a solute. Increased saline (solute) in the soil would not raise the water potential.

Choose Answer
• Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?
       o In saline soil, the saline is a solute. This increased solute level would lower the water potential of the soil.

Reflect on Process
• Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
• Apply level:
       o This question asked you to relate salinity to water potential. Answering this question correctly depended on your ability to use the indirect relationship between solute concentration and water potential in a new situation. If you got the correct answer, great job! If you got an incorrect answer, where did the process break down? Did you remember that saline is solute, or that increased solute lowers water potential? Did you have trouble extending concept the relationship between solute concentration and water potential to determine the correct answer?