Question

16 An IB student wants to create some open
boxes from pieces of cardboard to use them
as flower pots for a biology experiment. The
piece of cardboard has dimensions 40 cm
by 60 cm. In order to turn it into a box, she
cuts squares on each one of the corners
of the cardboard and then folds the sides
in. After making the first few at random,
she realized that she could fill them with
different amounts of soil. Determine the
dimensions of the squares she cuts out
in order to be able to put as much soil as
possible in the flower pots?

Answer 1

Plant waste in pot A has been decomposed. The plant waste has been converted into manure by the action of microbes. The nutrients released in the process could be used by the plants again. So, they are called biodegradable.

In pot B, the polythene bags, empty glasses, bottles and broken toy parts did not undergo any such change. The microbes could not 'act' on them and convert them into manure. So, they are called non-biodegradable.