Biology Lab 3

Lab 3: Follow the instructions and complete the assignment below. Submit your answers through the Lab 3 Assignment on Blackboard.

Lab 3 1

Lab 3: Evolution by Natural Selection

In this lab, you will explore two different simulations that explain how evolution by natural selection works, both on short and long term scales. For each simulation, you’ll have a series of questions to answer at the end. As for previous labs, you will want to take good notes along the way so that you can answer the questions at the end more easily. A. Go to the Darwin survival game at the following link:

http://coolsciencelab.com/who_wants_to_live_a_million_years.htm

[the game does not work well on my Firefox browser, but works well in all other browsers I’ve tried, such as Chrome or Internet Explorer]

– Press the “Natural Selection” tab and complete the quick simulation – Play the “Survival Game”. I suggest playing it 3-5 times to get a good idea of how it

works; take notes along the way, keeping track of your different organisms, which one was most successful and why, which one lived the longest, whether you won (and if not, how long did you last).

– Click on “Darwin’s Bio” tab and read the text – Take the quiz; keep track of the questions, esp. if you find some of them difficult,

and keep track of what it tells you at the end of the quiz.

When you are finished, answer the following questions about this activity.

1. Are all organisms within a species typically identical? Why or why not? Justify your answer using your notes from the “Natural Selection” tab and from the game you played.

2. What happens to traits that are beneficial for an organism? To traits that are detrimental to the organism? Justify your answers using your notes from the game you played. Where do these traits come from?

3. Did you win any of the rounds of the game you played? If not, what was your oldest organism? What did it look like, and why was it more successful than others?

4. Describe the process happening during the game. Are the different organisms different species, or different variants within a species? Why does this matter? Justify your answer.

5. Based on your experience in playing this game, do you think there have been more extinctions of species than successes of various species? Explain.

http://coolsciencelab.com/who_wants_to_live_a_million_years.htm
Lab 3: Follow the instructions and complete the assignment below. Submit your answers through the Lab 3 Assignment on Blackboard.

Lab 3 2

6. What was your score on the quiz, and what did it tell you once you completed it? Did you find some specific questions harder? If so, which ones were they?

7. What are the benefits of using simulations like the one you played to learn natural selection? Discuss your answer briefly. Did you enjoy this simulation (including the game and the quiz), and did it help you learn the material? Justify your answer.

B. Discovering relationships between species

The website below is an interactive activity that lets you explore the relationship between organisms on Earth by building phylogenies, both with morphological traits and DNA.

– Go to the website: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/labs/lab/evolution/, and click on PLAY GAME. You do not have to sign in with an account, you can just play the game as a guest. The website is free.

– Once you enter the game, you’ll see that the screen contains missions you’ll have to

complete, along with a short video. Start by watching the video; remember to take notes about what you learn in the video clip

– Missions have to completed in order; in other words, mission 2 will only open once you’ve completed mission 1. Each mission has 3 “games” to complete, along with a short video.

– Complete all missions, taking notes along the way for each video clip, and about things that are you learning. Take a screen shot of your screen at the end of the 6th mission as evidence that you completed them all 

Once you’re done with all missions, answer the following questions: 8. According to the first video you watched on the website (“Evolution 101”), what is the purpose of the Tree of Life? Explain your answer 9. In mission 1, one of the pop-up questions asks whether an animal or a plant is more closely related to a fungus. What is the correct answer, using the information you learned in mission 1, and why is the answer likely surprising to many people? Another pop-up question was whether a banana is more closely related to a lemon or an onion. What is the correct answer, using the information you learned in mission 1, and why is the answer likely surprising to many people? 10. When two groups of organisms independently evolve similar adaptations, it’s called convergent evolution. Sharks and whales both have streamlined bodies and tail flukes. How do we know that these similarities are because of convergent evolution? Describe your reasoning (Hint: this comes from material in Mission 2)

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/labs/lab/evolution/
Lab 3: Follow the instructions and complete the assignment below. Submit your answers through the Lab 3 Assignment on Blackboard.

Lab 3 3

11. When you compare the DNA of two closely related organisms, would you expect their DNA to be more similar or less similar than the DNA of two distantly related organisms? Explain your answer. 12. Fossils almost never contain DNA. So how can we know how closely or distantly related fossil organisms are to living organisms? Justify your answer using information you learned in Mission 3. 13. Which do you consider more convincing evidence, DNA or physical features? Why? Justify your answer using material you learned in this lab. 14. What do you think the narrator means when he says, “The host and the parasite are always in this really intimate dance together”, in the video from Mission 5? 15. Based on the information you learned in mission 5, how do scientists think that SIV has jumped hosts to humans? Based on your phylogenetic tree, how many times—at a minimum— do you infer that an HIV virus has jumped hosts to humans? Explain your answer. 16. A common misconception is that humans evolved from chimpanzees. It can therefore be confusing to some people that there are still chimpanzees. How could you use a tree diagram like the one you generated in this level to explain the correct relationship between living chimps and living humans? 17. What is the most surprising thing you have learned while playing through these missions? What is one thing that you’d like to learn more about? Did you enjoy the first simulation (Darwin’s survival game) or this simulation (NOVA phylogenies) more? Justify your answer. Now that you completed this lab, return to Blackboard and select Lab 3 Submission. You will see that Blackboard randomly selected questions for you to answer from the pool of all 17 questions. Copy-paste your answers for the 5 questions that Blackboard selected into Blackboard. Note that as this is a random selection, sometimes the questions will all be next to each other, sometimes they will be the hard ones, sometimes the easy ones, sometimes a true mix, and each student gets a slightly different selection. Each question is worth 2 points, for a total of 10 points for the lab.

 
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BIO 201L Lab 6 The Skeletal System 2015

Pre-Lab Questions:

”1. List the functions of the skeletal system.”

”2. What material contributes the greatest to the compressive strength of bone? ”

”3. Briefly describe the process of bone remodeling. ”

Experiment 1: Classification of Bones

Table 6: Classification of Bones

Bone Name Classification by Shape Classification by Location

Post-Lab Questions

”1. Why is it important to classify bones? ”

”2. Aside from length, what are some other common characteristics of a long bone? Are long bones typically associated with the axial or appendicular skeleton? ”

”3. Compare flat bones and long bones. How are they different? How are they the same? ”

Experiment 2: Digital Slide Image Examination—Bone

Post-Lab Questions

”1. Label the arrows in the following digital slide images: ”

”Cortical Bone: ”

A-

B-

C-

D-

”Trabecular Bone: ”

A-

B-

”2. Compare and contrast cortical and trabecular bone. ”

”3. What is the purpose of cortical bone? What is the purpose of trabecular bone? ”

”4. What are trabeculae? What is their function? ”

”5. What are haversian systems? What is their function? ”

Experiment 5: Physical Skeleton – The Axial Skeleton

Table 9: Cervical Vertebrae Observations

Vertebral Feature Observations

Size of cervical vertebrae in comparison to those of the thoracic and lumbar region

Shape of the vertebral foramen

Spinous Process of the C3 – C6 Vertebrae

Spinous Process of the C7 Vertebra

Table 10: Thoracic Vertebrae Observations

Vertebral Feature Observations

Size and weight of the thoracic vertebrae in comparison to those of the cervical and lumbar region

Shape of the vertebral body

Appearance and projection direction of the Spinous Process

Table 11: Lumbar Vertebrae Observations

Vertebral Feature Observations

Size of the lumbar vertebrae in comparison to those of the cervical and lumbar region

Shape of the vertebral body

Appearance and projection direction of the Spinous Process

Table 15: Rib Feature Observations

Rib Feature Observations

Length of ribs 1 – 7 (do they increase or decrease in length?)

Length or ribs 8 – 12 (do they increase or decrease in length?)

Articulation of the ribs and thoracic vertebrae (notice the specific rib and vertebra that articulate)

Post-Lab Questions

”1. What are the three components of the axial skeleton? Describe the function of each. ”

”2. On the skull below, fill in the blanks with the correct bone names. ”

A-

B-

C-

D-

E-

F-

”3. For the following bones, state whether they are cranial or facial bones and give their location. ”

Bone Facial or Cranial Location

Temporal Bones

Mandible

Vomer

Zygomatic Bones

Parietal Bones

Ethmoid Bone

Sphenoid Bone

Lacrimal Bones

”4. What are the three regions of the vertebral column? Describe the general shape and size of the vertebrae in each region. ”

”5. What are the atlas and axis? What are their functions? ”

”6. On the vertebra below, fill in the blanks with the correct vertebral structure. ”

A-

B-

C-

D-

E-

”7. What is the purpose of the thoracic cage? ”

”8. Describe the three components of the sternum. ”

”9. Describe the difference between true ribs, false ribs and floating ribs. ”

Experiment 6: Virtual Model – The Axial Skeleton

”1. What features are located inferior to the cranium, and superior to the mandibular? Identify the category here. How many individual items are included in this category? Hint: The answer is not a bone. ”

”2. Why aren’t teeth considered bones? ”

”3. Identify the two major bones which compose the head. ”

”4. To what bone does the right scapula attach? ”

”5. Is the left clavicle superior or inferior to the right scapula? ”

Experiment 7: Physical Skeleton – The Appendicular Skeleton

Post-Lab Questions

”1. What are the four parts of the upper extremity and the lower extremity of the appendicular skeleton? ”

”2. Compare and contrast the size and function of the upper and lower extremities of the appendicular skeleton. ”

”3. What are the three fused bones that make up the coxae of the pelvic girdle? What is their location in relationship to one another? ”

Experiment 8: Virtual Model – The Appendicular Skeleton

Post-Lab Questions

”1. How many left metatarsals are there? ”

”2. Is the right fibula inferior or superior to the patella? ”

”3. Are the ossa digitorum or the ossa metatarsalia more medial to the body? ”

”4. Which two bones attach to the patella? ”

”5. Identify the three bones which comprise the leg. ”

Experiment 9: Articulations

Post-Lab Questions

”1. What two ways can joints be classified? What are the three classifications of each type? ”

”2. Fibrous joints are either sutures or syndesmoses. What is the difference between the two? Give examples of each type. ”

”3. A symphysis and synchondroses are two classifications of what type of joint? What are the differences between the two classifications? ”

”4. What allows synovial joints to be diarthrotic? ”

”5. For the following, match the correct synovial joint to the movement it produces. ”

”Pivot Joint” ”Gliding Joint”

”Ball and Socket Joint ” ”Condyloid Joint”

”Saddle Joint” ”Hinge Joint”

Movement Joint

Uniaxial movement, typically flexion or extension

Uniaxial rotation

Side-to-side and back-and-forth movement

Multiaxial movement

Concave and convex surfaces of both bones allow for biaxial movement

Ellipsoidal fit allows for biaxial movement

6. Fill in the chart below:

Joint Articulating Bones Type of Synovial Joint Movement

Elbow

Knee

Hip

Ankle

Wrist

Experiment 10: Virtual Model- Skeletal System Coloring Activity

”Insert the image for each exercise below: ”

”Left Arm: ”

”Sternum and Clavicles: ”

”Vertebral Column: ”

”Right Hand: ”

”Sacrum: ”

”Legs: ”

”Feet: ”

Experiment 11: Skeletal System of the Fetal Pig

Table 34: Skeletal Region Observations

Skeletal Region Observations

Axial Skeleton

Appendicular Skeleton

Joints

Post-Lab Questions

”1. What are some of the similarities and differences you noticed between the human skeletal system and the palpation of the fetal pig skeletal system? ”

”Insert photo of pig in dissection tray with your name clearly visible in the background: ”

 
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BOS 3125 Unit VIII Course Project-University Case Study

BOS 3125 Unit VIII Course Project University Case Study

 

 

 

Congratulations! You have just become the safety manager for Podunk University. Your position is at the campus in Podunk, Colorado, and your predecessor left the job a year and a half ago. There has been nobody in the position during that interval. The commitment of the institution to safety is dubious at best, but you are looking forward to starting your new position and making a positive change.

 

After introducing yourself to the secretary you share with a half dozen other, more senior, people, you decide to focus on hazardous material and hazardous waste issues since you just completed a great college course on those topics. You tour the campus and discover that the following departments and programs are yours to deal with:

 

•   The biology department has animal dissection, human dissection, a microbiology lab, and a medical laboratory education program that uses small quantities of a lot of chemicals.

•   The chemistry department has chemicals that have never been inventoried and a new forensics program (as in CSI, not in college debate).

•   The physics department has high-voltage equipment, lasers, and LEDs.

•   The English department has lots and lots of books and papers, as well as photocopiers.

•   The math department has lots of computers and whiteboards.

•   The automotive technology department has everything pertaining to auto repair, including solvents, asbestos brake linings, pneumatic tools, waste oil, and cutting and grinding tools.

•   The Massive Arena is one of the original buildings on campus and has a variety of interesting problems, including asbestos insulation, and the building is undergoing a massive renovation.

 

Respond to each of the following questions:

 

1.   Where do you start?

 

2.   Where should you focus your initial HazCom efforts? In what order do you tackle the rest of the departments?

3.   What are the HazCom issues in the automotive technology department?

4.   What are the hazardous waste issues in the automotive technology department?

5.   What are the HazCom issues in the chemistry department?

6.   What are the hazardous waste issues in the chemistry department?

7.   With the Massive Arena renovation, who are the people to whom you need to communicate hazards?

8.   What are your main concerns with the physics department?

9.   What are the hazardous material/waste spill response issues for the university, and how should you prepare for them?

10.   Is any HazCom training needed for the English and math departments?

11.   What are some resources for finding out how to solve the HazCom issues?

12.   You must choose technology or trainers to do the needed training. What are some issues to consider when selecting these?

13.   Due to budget cuts, you have to do the training yourself, and you will use PowerPoint. What are some considerations when developing your PowerPoint Presentation?

14.   How can you evaluate your training to ensure that it is accomplishing your goals?

15.   One of the chemistry professors working with some of the automotive technology faculty members, invents a new nonflammable compound that will render obsolete the need for solvents to degrease auto parts. She wants to market the stuff. What needs to be done before it can be marketed, and who should do it?

16.   The University decides to partner with the chemistry professor and market this new compound. Due to the lack of flammability, it is a great hit nationwide. They then decide to market it worldwide. What concerns need to be addressed?

17.   It turns out that this wonderful new compound makes a really great explosion when used in conjunction with another chemical. As the University is manufacturing the compound in large quantities and storing it on the grounds, what concerns do you now have? What experts should you consult?

18.   The biology department has been busy as well. The little microbiology lab is large now, and they are working with stronger pathogens. How would you determine the new hazard communication requirements and things that you should do beyond that minimum?

 

After a tough five years, you have the Podunk University campus running smoothly. Everybody is trained, and your successor will not have nearly as much of a challenge as you did. Congratulations, and best wishes on your next challenge!

 

Your submission must be a minimum of four pages double-spaced, not including the title and reference pages, and in APA format. Support your answers to the questions with appropriate references and in-text citations.

 
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UMUC Biology 102/103 Lab 1: Introduction To Science Answer Key

This contains 100% correct material for UMUC Biology 103 LAB01. However, this is an Answer Key, which means, you should put it in your own words. Here is a sample for the questions answered:

 

 

Exercise 1: Data Interpretation  (2 pts each)

1. What patterns do you observe based on the information in Table 4?

No fish are present when the dissolved oxygen is zero. When there is more dissolved oxygen in the water, more fish are present. However, the number of fish tends to drop or level off when the dissolved oxygen is higher than 12 ppm.

 

2. Develop a hypothesis relating to the amount of dissolved oxygen measured in the water sample and the number of fish observed in the body of water.

Possible Hypotheses:

1.    The amount of dissolved oxygen affects the number of fish that can live in a body of water.

2.    As dissolved oxygen concentration increases, more fish can live in the body of water.

3.    There is an ideal dissolved oxygen concentration for fish to live in.

 

The rest of the questions are answered in full version:

 

1.    What would your experimental approach be to test this hypothesis?

 

 

2.    What would be the independent and dependent variables?

 

 

3.    What would be your control?

 

 

4.    What type of graph would be appropriate for this data set?  Why?

 

 

5.    Graph the data from Table 4: Water Quality vs. Fish Population (found at the beginning of this exercise).

 

 

6.    Interpret the data from the graph made in Question 7.

 

 

 

Exercise 2: Experimental Variables

Determine the variables tested in the each of the following experiments. If applicable, determine and identify any positive or negative controls.

 

Observations

1.    A study is being done to test the effects of habitat space on the size of fish populations. Different sized aquariums are set up with six goldfish in each one. Over a period of six months, the fish are fed the same type and amount of food. The aquariums are equally maintained and cleaned throughout the experiment. The temperature of the water is kept constant. At the end of the experiment the number of surviving fish is surveyed.

A.    Independent Variable:

 

 

B.    Dependent Variable:

 

 

C.   Controlled Variables/Constants:

 

 

D.   Experimental Controls/Control Groups:

 

 

2.    To determine if the type of agar affects bacterial growth, a scientist cultures E. coli on four different types of agar. Five petri dishes are set up to collect results:

§  One with nutrient agar and E. coli

§  One with mannitol-salt agar and E. coli

 

§  One with MacConkey agar and E. coli

§  One with LB agar and E. coli

§  One with nutrient agar but NO E. coli

 

All of the petri dishes received the same volume of agar, and were the same shape and size. During the experiment, the temperature at which the petri dishes were stored, and at the air quality remained the same. After one week the amount of bacterial growth was measured.

A.    Independent Variable:

 

 

B.    Dependent Variable:

 

C.   Controlled Variables/Constants:

 

 

D. Experimental Controls/Control Groups:

Exercise 3: Testable Observations

Determine which of the following observations are testable. For those that are testable:

Determine if the observation is qualitative or quantitative

Write a hypothesis and null hypothesis

What would be your experimental approach?

What are the dependent and independent variables?

What are your controls – both positive and negative?

How will you collect your data?

How will you present your data (charts, graphs, types)?

How will you analyze your data?

 

Observations

1.    A plant grows three inches faster per day when placed on a window sill than it does when placed on a on a coffee table in the middle of the living room.

 

 

2.    The teller at the bank with brown hair and brown eyes is taller than the other tellers.

 

 

 

3.    When Sally eats healthy foods and exercises regularly, her blood pressure is 10 points lower than when she does not exercise and eats fatty foods.

 

 

 

4.    The Italian restaurant across the street closes at 9 pm but the one two blocks away closes at 10 pm.

 

 

5.    For the past two days, the clouds have come out at 3 pm and it has started raining at 3:15 pm.

 

 

 

6.    George did not sleep at all the night following the start of daylight savings.

 

 

 

Exercise 4: Conversion

For each of the following, convert each value into the designated units.

 

 

1.    46,756,790 mg = _______ kg

 

 

2.    5.6 hours = ________ seconds

 

 

3.    13.5 cm = ________ inches

 

 

4.    47 °C = _______ °F

 

 

 

 

Exercise 5: Accuracy vs. Precision

For the following, determine whether the information is accurate, precise, both or neither.

 

1.    During gym class, four students decided to see if they could beat the norm of 45 sit-ups in a minute. The first student did 64 sit-ups, the second did 69, the third did 65, and the fourth did 67.

 

 

2.    The average score for the 5th grade math test is 89.5. The top 5th graders took the test and scored 89, 93, 91 and 87.

 

3.    Yesterday the temperature was 89 °F, tomorrow it’s supposed to be 88 °F and the next day it’s supposed to be 90 °F, even though the average for September is only 75 °F degrees!

 

4.    Four friends decided to go out and play horseshoes. They took a picture of their results shown to the right:

 

 

 

 

5.    A local grocery store was holding a contest to see who could most closely guess the number of pennies that they had inside a large jar. The first six people guessed the numbers 735, 209, 390, 300, 1005 and 689. The grocery clerk said the jar actually contains 568 pennies.

 

 

Exercise 6: Significant Digits and Scientific Notation

Part 1: Determine the number of significant digits in each number and write out the specific significant digits.

 

1.    405000

 

 

2.    0.0098

 

 

3.    39.999999

 

 

4.    13.00

 

 

5.    80,000,089

 

 

6.    55,430.00

 

 

7.    0.000033

 

 

8.    620.03080

 

Part 2: Write the numbers below in scientific notation, incorporating what you know about significant digits.

 

1.    70,000,000,000

 

 

2.    0.000000048

 

 

3.    67,890,000

 

 

4.    70,500

 

 

5.    450,900,800

 

 

6.    0.009045

 

 

7.    0.023

 

Exercise 1: Data Interpretation (2 pts each)

1. What patterns do you observe based on the information in Table 4?

No fish are present when the dissolved oxygen is zero. When there is more dissolved oxygen in the water, more fish are present. However, the number of fish tends to drop or level off when the dissolved oxygen is higher than 12 ppm.

 

2. Develop a hypothesis relating to the amount of dissolved oxygen measured in the water sample and the number of fish observed in the body of water.

Possible Hypotheses:

1. The amount of dissolved oxygen affects the number of fish that can live in a body of water.

2. As dissolved oxygen concentration increases, more fish can live in the body of water.

3. There is an ideal dissolved oxygen concentration for fish to live in.

 

3. What would your experimental approach be to test this hypothesis?

Possible Experimental Approach: Deposit an equal number of fish in several tanks. Maintain all other variables (temperature, light, food, etc.), but vary the dissolved oxygen concentration in each of the tanks. Observe the fish over time to determine how many fish can survive at different oxygen concentrations.

 

4. What are the independent and dependent variables?

Independent Variable: Dissolved oxygen concentration.

Dependent Variable: The number of fish.

 

5. What would be your control?

Possible Control: Aquarium with no fish. Measure the dissolved oxygen level in a fish tank at normal room conditions, and repeat this measurement every time you make an observation of the number of fish. [Use only one type of fish for your experiment, and control other variables such as light, food and temperature.]

 

6. What type of graph would be appropriate for this data set? Why?

A line graph is most appropriate because it can best display the relationship between the variables.

 

7. Graph the data from Table 4: Water Quality vs. Fish Population (found at the beginning of this exercise).

18

 

8. Interpret the data from the graph made in Question 7.

The number of fish in the body of water increases along with dissolved oxygen up to about 12 ppm. When the concentration is higher than 12 ppm, the relationship is less clear. There may be an ideal dissolved oxygen concentration that supports the greatest number of fish, but that conclusion would require further testing.

 

Experiment 2: Experimental Variables (2 pts each part, 8 total/question)

Determine the variables tested in the each of the following experiments. If applicable, determine and identify any positive or negative controls.

 

1. A study is being done to test the affects of habitat space on the size of fish populations. Different sized aquariums are set up with six goldfish in each one. Over a period of six months, the fish are fed the same type and amount of food. The aquariums are equally maintained and cleaned throughout the experiment. The temperature of the water is kept constant. At the end of the experiment the number of surviving fish are surveyed.

 

A. Independent Variable: Habitat Space (Different sized aquariums are tested)

B. Dependent Variable: Size of Fish Populations (The number of surviving fish are surveyed)

C. Controlled Variables/Constants: Type of food, amount of food, equal maintenance and cleaning, water temperature

D. Experimental Controls/Control Groups: There are no control groups in this experiment.

 

2. To determine if the type of agar affects bacterial growth, a scientist cultures E. coli on four different types of agar. Five petri dishes are set up to collect results:

One with nutrient agar and E. coli

One with mannitol-salt agar and E. coli

One with MacConkey agar and E. coli

One with LB agar and E. coli

One with nutrient agar but NO E. coli

 

All of the petri dishes received the same volume of agar, and were the same shape and size. During the experiment, the temperature at which the petri dishes were stored, and at the air quality remained the same. After one week the amount of bacterial growth was measured.

 

A. Independent Variable: Type of agar (nutrient agar, mannitol-salt agar, MacConkey agar, LB agar)

B. Dependent Variable: Bacterial growth (after one week the amount of bacterial growth was measured)

C. Controlled Variables/Constants: Volume of agar, size and shape of petri dishes, temperature, air quality

D. Experimental Controls/Control Groups: One petri dish with nutrient agar, but no E. coli is a negative control because no growth should be seen if no E. coli was added

 

Exercise 3: Testable Observations (2 pts each)

Determine which of the following observations could lead to a testable hypothesis. For those that are testable:

Write a hypothesis and null hypothesis

What would be your experimental approach?

What are the dependent and independent variables?

What is your control?

How will you collect your data?

How will you present your data (charts, graphs, types)?

How will you analyze your data?

 

1. A plant grows three inches faster per day when placed on a window sill than it does when placed on a coffee table in the middle of a living room.

Hypothesis: Plants in the window sill grow faster due to increased light.

Null hypothesis: Increased light does not make plants grow faster.

Approach: Place two plants in the window. Leave one in the window and take the second plant

and let it spend different amounts of time in the light (decreased light exposure).

Dependent variable: Height of the plant. Independent variable: Amount of time spent in the sunlight by each plant.

Control: A plant remaining out of direct sunlight (but not in total darkness), like on the table.

Data collection: Measure the height of each plant every day for a week and record the total growth after one week.

Data presentation: Use a bar graph to show the results. Each of the three plants will have its own bar representing the height it grew in one week

Analyze: Look for an increase in growth with increased time on window sill.

 

2. The teller at the bank with brown hair and brown eyes and is taller than the other tellers.

No testable hypothesis – This is an observation, but it is a statement with no testable component.

 

3. When Sally eats healthy foods, her blood pressure is 10 points lower than when she eats fatty foods.

Hypothesis: A healthy diet leads to lower blood pressure.

Null hypothesis: A healthy diet doesn’t lead to lower blood pressure.

Approach: Collect blood pressure data over time for groups eating healthy foods and a group eating fatty foods.

Independent variable: Healthy or Unhealthy Diet

Dependent variable: Blood pressure (would be affected by the change in diet).

Controls: All groups should be exposed to similar amounts of exercise and stress.

Data collection: Test the blood pressure of your study subjects at fixed intervals over time – alwaysat the same time of day, under similar diet conditions.

Presentation: Use a line graph for individual evaluation over time. Use a bar graph to show the average blood pressure for each of your study groups.

Analyze: Look at data gathered over time to see whether diet lowered blood pressure.

 

4. The Italian restaurant across the street closes at 9 pm but the one two blocks away closes at 10 pm.

No testable hypothesis – This is a statement with no testable relationship.

 

5. For the past two days the clouds have come out at 3 pm and it has started raining at 3:15 pm.

For this particular, specific observation, you could not create a controlled experiment, so you could have said it’s an observation only, and that would have been acceptable for the information given. If you did propose an experiment, since the the time appears to be the independent variable that the dependent variable (clouds) depends on, but that is not the case, you’d have to go further and propose what variables you’re going to look at–what atmospheric conditions (that aren’t observed in this case) are the variables related to the cloud formation? (So, you’d need additional observation before you could actually come up with a hypothesis. If you did make some assumptions about cloud formation and proposed a hypothesis, it might look something like this:

Hypothesis: As temperatures rise throughout the day, it increases the rate of evaporation, increasing the amount of moisture in the air. Temperatures and atmospheric water concentrations reach their maximum at mid-afternoon. Then, when temperatures begin to lower at about 3:00, clouds form and the evaporated moisture in the air condenses and it rains.

This experiment could be recreated in a microclimate, under lab conditions, or observed using daily weather station instruments to see if the pattern holds up.

 

Meteorologists can gather data about the atmospheric conditions to determine what variables are related to this and then develop experiments to see if their models work—looking for a correlation between those conditions and similar weather. Each observation would be a replication. Meteorologists gather a lot of data FIRST, then use it to make predictions–hypotheses–that they test by making more observations in the real world to compare with.

 

6. George did not sleep at all the night following the start of daylight savings.

Hypothesis: Daylight savings affected how much George was able to sleep.

Null hypothesis: Daylight savings did not affect how much George was able to sleep.

Approach: Study George’s sleeping habits before, during, and after daylight savings time.

Dependent variable: The number of hours George sleeps during daylight savings time.

Independent variable: The day/time.

Control: George’s average night’s sleep.

Data collection: Record George’s sleeping patterns for several weeks before, during, and after daylight savings time. Write down what time he goes to bed and how many hours he sleeps for each night.

Presentation: Use a line graph to plot the day/time on the x-axis and George’s hours of sleep on the y-axis.

Analyze: Use the data to show whether daylight savings time affected George’s sleep. Possible questions to answer with the data:

What did the graph look like leading up to the due date of George’s assignment? What happened around George’s paper’s due date? Did George’s sleeping patterns go back to normal after the assignment was due? If so, how long did it take?

 

Exercise 4: Unit Conversion

For each of the following, convert each value into the designated units.

1. 46,756,790 mg = 46.75679 kg

2. 5.6 hours = 20,160 seconds

3. 13.5 cm = 5.31 inches

4. 47 °C = 116 °F

 

Exercise 5: Accuracy vs. Precision

For the following, determine whether the information is accurate, precise, both or neither.

 

1. During gym class, four students decided to see if they could beat the norm of 45 sit-ups in a minute. The first student did 64 sit-ups, the second did 69, the third did 65, and the fourth did 67.

Precise because all the data is closely together, but not accurate since it is far from the norm of 45 sit ups.

 

2. The average score for the 5th grade math test is 89.5. The top 5th graders took the test and scored 89, 93, 91 and 87.

Both precise and accurate, because all the scores are closely gathered around the average score.

 

3. Yesterday the temperature was 89 °F, tomorrow it’s supposed to be 88 °F and the next day it’s supposed to be 90 °F, even though the average for September is only 75 °F degrees!

The data is precise, but not accurate.

 

4. Four friends decided to go out and play horseshoes. They took a picture of their results shown to the right:

Both accurate and precise.

 

 

 

 

5. A local grocery store was holding a contest to see who could most closely guess the number of pennies that they had inside a large jar. The first six people guessed the numbers 735, 209, 390, 300, 1005 and 689. The grocery clerk said the jar actually contains 568 pennies.

Neither precise or accurate.

 

 

Exercise 6: Significant Digits and Scientific Notation

Part 1: Determine the number of significant digits in each number and write out the specific significant digits.

 

1. 405000 = 3 significant digits – 4,0,5

 

 

2. 0.0098 = 2 significant digits – 9,8

 

 

3. 39.999999 = 8 significant digits – 3,9,9,9,9,9,9,9

 

 

4. 13.00 = 4 significant digits – 1,3,0,0

 

 

5. 80,000,089 = 8 significant digits – 8,0,0,0,0,0,8,9

 

 

6. 55,430.00 = 7 significant digits – 5,5,4,3,0,0,0

 

 

7. 0.000033 = 2 significant digits – 3,3

 

 

8. 620.03080 = 8 significant digits – 6,2,0,0,3,0,8,0

 

Part 2: Write the numbers below in scientific notation, incorporating what you know about significant digits.

 

1. 70,000,000,000 = 7 x 10^10

 

2. 0.000000048 = 4.8 x 10^-8

 

3. 67,890,000 = 678.9 x 10^5

 

4. 70,500 = 70.5 x 10^3

 

5. 450,900,800 = 450900.8 x 10^3

 

6. 0.009045 = 904.5 x 10^-5

 

7. 0.023 = 2.3 x 10^-2

 
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