LABORATORY ACTIVITY 2: Mendelian Genetics Coin Lab

Objective: Students will be able to explain that genes code for proteins that produce a diverse
range of traits.

Skill: Calculating Probabilities

Problem: What is the probability that certain genotypes and phenotypes will occur?

Materials:
2 Pennies
Masking Tape
Marker

Procedure:

1. Using masking tape and a marker, label one penny with a capital A on one side and a
lowercase a on the other side. This penny represents a pair of heterozygous genes from the
mother. Do the same for the other penny. This penny represents a pair of heterozygous genes
from the father.

2. Using a Punnett Square, cross the genes of the mother and father. Write the expected
outcomes in the table below.

3. Next, flip the two coins simultaneously. The two coins together make up the genetic material
of the zygote. Record the genotype of the offspring in the tally portion of the table below.

4. Repeat step 2 for a total of 50 trials. Calculate what percentage of “offspring” had each
possible genotype and phenotype. Show your data and calculations to Mrs. Hogan or Mr.
Decker.

Punnett Square
A a
A AA Aa
a Aa Aa

Aa = 26
AA = 13
aa = 11
 Trial No. Result From the From the
Father Mother
1. Aa A a
2. Aa a A
3. Aa a A
4. Aa a A
5. AA A A
6. aa a a
7. Aa A a
8. Aa a A
9.
Expected Aa
Probabilty a TallyA Actual Probability
AA 10. 12,5 AA A 25 % A 13
11. Aa A(25 : 100 x 50a = 12,5)
Aa 12. 25 AA A 50 %A 26
13. aa a (50 : 100 x 50
a = 25 )
aa 14. 12,5 Aa A 25 %a 11
15. aa a (25 : 100 x 50
a = 12,5)
16. AA A A
17. Aa a A
18. AA A A
19. aa a a Analysis
20. Aa a A
21. Aa A a 1. How close did your actual
22. Aa a A results come to your expected
results? If there was a
23. Aa a A
significant difference, explain
24. AA A A what you think caused the
25. aa a a difference.
26. AA A A Answer : In the results of our
27. Aa A a experiment, we produced a
28. AA A A genotype ratio of 1: 2: 0.8
29. Aa a A which was slightly different
30. Aa a A from the expected ratio of 1: 2:
31. aa a a 1.Based on these data, the
32. Aa A a
experiments we had done 50
33. Aa A a
times were almost the same as
34. Aa a A
the expected comparison,
35. Aa a A
36. AA A A genotype ratio 1: 2: 1.
37. aa a a
38. AA A A 2. If you were to flip the coins
39. aa a a one hundred times, would the
40. Aa A a results be similar or vastly
41. AA A A different? Explain your
42. AA A A reasoning.
43. aa a a
44. Aa a A
45. aa a a
46. Aa a A
47. aa a a
48. Aa a A
49. AA A A