A2 Biology Practice

Statistics Questions

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4 A student investigated the effect of salt concentration on the growth of one species
of brine shrimp.
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The student placed 100 shrimp eggs in a beaker containing 1 dm3 of 3% salt solution. 0
Three days after the eggs hatched, 1 0 shrimps were collected and their lengths z
measured. Seven days after hatching, another 1 O shrimps were collected and their
g
lengths measured. <0
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The procedure was repeated using a 5% salt solution. All other variables were kept constant.
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The results are shown in the table.
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Length of specimen in Length of specimen in r
Specimen 3% salt solution / mm 5% salt solution / mm 1
number 3 days after 7 days after 3 days after 7 days after
hatching ...,...... hatching hatching hatching

2
1 t
0.75
0.78
1.00
1.25
0.75
0.73
-- 0.98
0.95
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3 0.66 1.10 0.61 0.93

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4 0.73 1.03 0.63 0.83 0
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5 0.85 1.15 0.53 0.98 0
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6 0.78 1.08 0.60 1.08 <7
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0.90
0.90
1.13
1.05
0.52
0.81
0.95
1.03
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9 0.80 1.18 0.58 0.88 G
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Mean
0.85
0.800
1.05
1.102
-+--
0.68
--- 0.88
0.949
1
r
p

(a) (i) Calculate the mean length of shrimp three days after hatching in the 5% salt
solution. Give your answer to an appropriate number of significant figures.
(1)

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(ii) Explain how these data can be used to show the effect of salt concentration
on the rate of growth of brine shrimps.
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(b) The student carried out a statistical test to see if there was a significant difference
between the mean lengths of brine shrimps in these two salt solutions. The
student used the 7 days after hatching data.

The student selected the t-test because the data are normally distributed.

(i) Draw a line on the graph to show a normal distribution for a population of
brine shrimp.
(1)

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(ii) Complete the table by filling in the missing value for specimen 7 and then
calculate the value for x?.
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3% salt solution 5% salt solution g
Specimen
Length of Square of length Length of Square of length ==
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number (n)
specimen (x,) of specimen (x?) specimen (x,) of specimen (x;) 3
2
1.00 I 1.000 0.98 0.960
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3
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2 1.25 1 .563 0.95 0.903

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2
3 1.10 1.210 0.93 0.865

4 1.03 1 .061 0.83 0.689

5 1.15
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1 1 .323 0.98
- -I-- -
0.960
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6 1.08 1. 166 1.08

+
1. 166
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7 r 1.13 0.95 0.903 g
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8 I 1.05 1 .061
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9 1.18 1.392 0.88 0.774 5
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1.05 1.103
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H Sum 2) x,= 11.020 J »-·»/ -»»
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(iii) The variances are used in the calculation of a t-value.

< The variance for the 3% salt solution S? = 0.0059.

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t
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5z n = the number of specimens
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(iv) Calculate the t-value using the formula.
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t=
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1 4 12
n, n,
(3)

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(v) The calculated t-value is greater than the critical value at p = 0.05.
Describe what this result indicates about the effect of salt concentration on 0
the length of brine shrimp. 0
(2) z
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. (Total for Question 4 = 12 marks)

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P3 Q3

3 Blowflies are found in many parts of the world, including Africa.

The diagram shows the life cycle of one species of blowfly (species A) found in Africa.
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A,•di;
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Adult - ...
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Larva / r
Pupate cap ' Hatch n
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An investigation was carried out to find the temperature at which 50% of the larvae
of this species survive. This investigation was repeated for a further six species of
African blowfly larvae, B to G. All other variables were kept constant.

In another investigation, the temperature of sand that the larvae selected when ready
to pupate was recorded.

(a) A student used the data from these investigations to find out if there is a O
statistically significant correlation between the two sets of temperatures. 0
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To do so, a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient can be calculated. l
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(i) Complete the table to rank all the data and to calculated and d 2 for species E to G.
r
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Mean Rank for r
Rank for G
temperature mean Mean Difference 3>
mean 10
Blowfly at which temperature temperature Difference in rank rn
temperature p>
species 50% of for 50% of sand in rank (d) squared
of sand
larvae larvae selected /°C (d?)
selected
survive/ °C survival

A 49.0 5 26.1 7 -2 4
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1
47.5

48.5
2

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23.2

24.7
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D 42.9 16.6 0 0 .....o

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(ii) Calculate the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (r) using the equation:
(3)
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z where d = 34 and n is the number of blowfly species.

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Answer

(iii) The table shows critical values for r.s

Probability

n 0.10 0.05 0.01

a.a

0.900 1.000 1.000

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7 0.714 0.786 0.929
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8 0.643 0.738 0.881
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9 0.600 0.683 0.833
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Deduce whether the data showed a statistically significant correlation.
(2)
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(b) A number of observations were made about a dead rhinoceros:

• adults of all seven species of blowfly (A to G) were observed near the rhinoceros O
• large numbers of living larvae of species F were present inside the rhinoceros 0
• mean temperature in this group of larvae was 49 ± 1.1 °C z
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• mean temperature of the air surrounding the rhinoceros was 33 ± 3.0 °C. -t
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(i) Determine how the mean temperature of 49°C was found. -7
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(ii) It was observed that all the living larvae in the rhinoceros belonged to species F.

The metabolic activity of the larvae of species F increases the temperature

within the dead rhinoceros.

Explain the advantages for this species of blowfly of increasing the

temperature within the dead rhinoceros.
(3)

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(Total for Question 3 = 13marks) p

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 P3 04 2020
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4 Global warming can affect abiotic factors that determine the distribution
of organisms.
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uI The presence of sodium chloride in soil is an abiotic factor that affects the
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b The effects of sodium chloride solution and gibberellin on the germination of

z rice seeds have been investigated.
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E Gibberellin regulates developmental processes in plants.
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Fifty seeds were placed in each of three Petri dishes containing different solutions.
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0 The seeds were incubated for 96 hours and the number that germinated in each
o Petri dish was counted.

Number of seeds
[ Treatment Solution
germinating
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Control Distilled water 48

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<4 Sodium chloride 120 mmol dm? of sodium chloride 33

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Sodium chloride 120 mmol dm? sodium chloride
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and gibberellin and 50 mol dm? gibberellin
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(a) (i) Give a null hypothesis for this experiment.
( 1)

(ii) Calculate the chi-squared () value for these results, using the formula
provided.
(3)

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(iii) In a second experiment, using the same three treatments, the chi-squared (x2)
value was found to be 6.635.

The table gives the critical values for the chi-squared (x2) test at different
probability levels.

Probability level
Degrees of
freedom
0.05 0.01 0.001
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3.841 6.635 10.83

- 2 5.991
+-

9.210 13.82
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3 7.815 11.34 16.27

t 4 9.488
+ 13.28 18.47
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Deduce the statistical significance of the results of the second experiment.

(2)

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(b) Gibberellins can activate the gene for amylase in rice seeds.

<4 Amylase is an enzyme that hydrolyses starch in the rice seeds.

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activity in rice seeds treated with sodium chloride.
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- 2019

4 The earthworm, (Lumbricus terrestris), feeds on dead organic matter found in soil.

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Soil pH is one of the a biotic factors that affects the population size of earthworms.

The populations of earthworms in fields with either acidic soil or alkaline soil have
been investigated.
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The results of this investigation are summarised in the table. 0
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Sample
Earthworms in field
with acidic soil
Earthworms in field
with alkaline soil
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Number per Mass per square Number per Mass per square 2
square metre metre / gm? square metre metre / gm? -i
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1 80 184 I 723 1164
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2 59 110 1613 1968 2
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4 31 70 728 961
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5 121 238 214 233
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6 75 139 874 1 739
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7 97 149 668 1 096 0
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(a) Deduce the effect of pH on the number and mass of earthworms in these two
types of soil.
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(b) Describe a sampling method that could be used to collect the data in this table.
(4)
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(c) Explain how differences between the mass of earthworms in these two soils could
be shown to be statistically significant.
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