Course 04 · Quiz 2 of 2 · Choose, prepare, and observe · Final synthesis

Quiz 2: Choose, prepare, and observe

Bring the course together in ten teaching cases: distinguish chemical properties, prepare and compare batches, justify a plan for a named tree and site, and respond proportionately to change. Open book and untimed; pass with 80%.

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As the final quiz, it also draws on ideas from the whole course.

Before you start

10 questions, each worth one point. Some ask for one answer; others ask you to select a stated number of answers.
For questions with several answers, each correct choice earns an equal share of the point.
Pass with 80%: at least 8 of 10 points.
Untimed and open book. Revisit any lesson while you work.
After you submit, you will see every correct answer with an explanation. Retake it as often as you like.

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Question 1 of 10 ScenarioTwo media begin at the same measured pH. Under a comparable test, the same acid input produces a larger pH change in one than the other.Which concept best explains why matching starting pH did not guarantee matching behavior?
Electrical conductivity is another name for pH.Particle color controls the acid response regardless of composition.Matching pH proves that all chemical properties were identical.The media can differ in their resistance to pH change, called buffering.
Question 2 of 10 ScenarioA component has relatively high cation exchange capacity. A salesperson claims that this proves a mix containing it supplies all nutrients for the tree indefinitely.Which response is scientifically sound?
Agree, because CEC measures every nutrient currently dissolved in the pot.CEC describes capacity to retain exchangeable positive ions; actual nutrient supply and demand still need assessment.Agree, because exchange sites manufacture mineral nutrients.Reject all high-CEC materials because nutrient retention always blocks uptake.
Question 3 of 10 ScenarioAn owner compares last month's diluted media extract with today's undiluted runoff. Today's EC number is higher, and the owner concludes that the medium certainly accumulated fertilizer salts.What is the best next step?
Ignore all conductivity measurements because they can never provide useful evidence.Repeat with a consistent appropriate method and units, then interpret alongside water and feeding history.Increase fertilizer because a high EC proves healthy nutrition.Add acid because every increase in EC means pH increased.
Question 4 of 10 ScenarioAn organic component has softened over time, the pot remains persistently wet, and the owner proposes adding a microbial product without checking drainage or moisture. The tree's condition has begun to worsen.Which response best connects biology with the physical environment?
Add more water to speed all beneficial decomposition.Sterilize the entire root ball immediately because living organisms should never be present.Investigate moisture, outlets, structure, and the tree's history promptly; a microbial product cannot substitute for suitable conditions.The product guarantees recovery because all microbes improve every root environment.
Question 5 of 10 ScenarioThe owner is preparing a small equal-volume pumice, lava, and akadama trial. A new shipment has more dust and a different particle grade than the previous one.Select the two actions that make the trial safer and more repeatable.0 of 2 selected
Control airborne dust according to product handling information and screen only to obtain the intended useful fraction.Assume equal ingredient names mean the pore structure is unchanged.Record source, grade, preparation, screen sizes if used, and loose-volume proportions.Pour and screen vigorously in an enclosed room so no material is lost outdoors.
Question 6 of 10 ScenarioTwo empty pots contain candidate mixes. B has heavier mineral solids and weighs more after drainage. The owner wants to infer both water retention and the exact watering interval for a planted maple.Which plan produces the most defensible evidence?
Use different container depths so both fit the available shelf, and call any difference a mix effect.Select B because total pot weight directly measures available water.Use comparable containers and methods, account for starting masses and weight changes, and treat the result as a screening trial without roots.Copy the empty-pot drying interval directly into the maple's watering calendar.
Question 7 of 10 ScenarioThe courtyard maple: a healthy, established trident maple (Acer buergerianum) is growing in development outdoors in a humid temperate location around 40° N. It receives morning sun and afternoon shade. The planned moderate-depth training pot has open drainage and adequate root volume. Morning and evening checks and extra heat-wave help are available. Repotting will occur only if justified at an appropriate time. The owner can obtain known horticultural grades of pumice, lava, and akadama.Which substrate approach is best justified by these stated conditions?
Replace the current functional medium immediately because a documented recipe proves the tree is ready for root work.Fill half the planned pot with large stones so the upper medium cannot retain water.Declare the equal-volume ratio optimal for every maple and stop observing after planting.Use the lesson's consistent equal-volume batch as an unplanted comparison baseline, then judge wetting, retention, and care fit before future use.
Question 8 of 10 ScenarioThe same healthy maple is now being considered for a hot, windy balcony. The owner is away through the middle of the day. A small empty baseline sample dries much faster there than in the sheltered courtyard. No reliable midday support has yet been arranged.Select the two responses that form a defensible revised plan.0 of 2 selected
Compare a candidate with greater useful water retention while checking that aeration and wetting remain suitable.Seal the drainage holes to guarantee a water reserve until evening.Reduce excessive exposure or arrange reliable checking and watering; change the site-and-care plan if the gap remains unmanageable.Assume an extra-retentive ingredient makes every unattended period safe without further checks.
Question 9 of 10 ScenarioIn cool autumn weather, the maple has lost most of its leaves and its pot remains moist longer than in midsummer. Outlets are open, watering still wets the root ball evenly, and no unexpected decline is recorded. One root is visible at a drainage hole.What response best fits the available evidence?
Repot immediately because slower drying always proves particle breakdown.Adjust watering to observed moisture and compare with similar seasonal conditions while recording the root observation.Cut the exposed root because it proves all remaining pore space is gone.Continue the midsummer watering schedule to make the comparison fair.
Question 10 of 10 ScenarioAcross comparable warm weeks, a different maple wets progressively less evenly and visible particles have broken down. Its outlets are open. The tree also has poor vigor after recent major work, and the owner cannot provide suitable recovery care this week. No rapidly worsening emergency is currently apparent.Which next step best respects both the evidence and the tree's condition?
Bare-root immediately because any structural change outweighs vigor and aftercare.Add fertilizer instead of investigating, because poor vigor proves a nutrient shortage.Investigate the functional decline, maintain effective care, obtain experienced assessment, and defer elective root work until a proportionate plan and aftercare are available.Continue unchanged indefinitely because repotting may be risky.

0 of 10 questions answered