BI206: Introductory Biology III Week 1 Lab Page 1 of 4

Reading

1. What are some characteristics of good scientific questions and hypotheses?

Response: Good questions and hypothesis will involve information related to the topic at hand, and any
possible answers. The hypothesis must be able to be tested in order to be supported or negated, and
specific expectations must be met.

2. What are independent versus dependent variables in experiments?

Response: The independent variable in an experiment is controlled and manipulated by the scientists
conducting the experiment. The dependent variable is affected by the independent variable in the
experiment.

3. What is the difference between treatment groups and control groups in an experiment?
Response: Treatment groups are exposed to the independent variable, while the control groups are not.

4. What are positive and negative controls?

Response: A positive control represents a reference for the treatment groups, in order to show a correct
response in correlation to the hypothesis. Negative controls are not treated with the independent variable,
and no response is expected from the negative control.

5. State your own observation, question, and hypothesis regarding a particular phenomenon (Not the ones
given as examples in the book.)

Observation: Many people are failing to comply with the stay-at-home orders, and the covid-19 infection
rates continue to grow.

Question: How will the people who do not obey the stay-at-home orders affect the infection rate of the
covid-19 virus?

Hypothesis: By not staying home, people who do not obey the stay-at-home order will increase the spread
of the covid-19 virus.

6. State an experimental prediction to go with your answers to Question 5 (above).

Prediction: If [non-essential] personnel do not follow the stay-at-home order, then the infection rate of
Covid-19 will increase.

7. When would you revise your hypothesis?

Response: If the predictions are false, then the hypothesis needs to be revised.

Visualizing Experimental Data

2. Open the Excel document linked in Canvas and enter the appropriate mean value into the
appropriately labeled cell. Take a screen shot of this graph or save it as an image then insert it below:

Insert graph here:

BI206: Introductory Biology III Week 1 Lab Page 2 of 4

Average Yeild BT versus Non-BT Corn with and without ECB

200

180

160

140

120
Corn (g)

100

80

60

40

20

0
BT Corn Non-BT Corn BT Corn Non-BT Corn
No ECB ECB present

Treatments

3. Answer the five questions below after you look at your graph.
A. For each of the trials, which variable was the dependent and which was the independent in the above
experiment?
Trial 1 dependent variable: Weight of the corn plant seeds.
Trial 1 independent variable: No European Core borer present in greenhouse

Trial 2 dependent variable: weight of corn plant seeds.

Trial 2 independent variable: European Core Borer present in greenhouse

B. What were the hypotheses and experimental predictions?

Response: BT corn will act as a natural pesticide and prevent the European core bore from
consuming the corn.

C. What was the control treatment in each trial?

Control for trial 1: No ECB

Control for trial 2: ECB Present

D. How would you draw conclusions from your data? In other words, if you see a difference in yield
between the two treatments by looking at the graph, how do you know if this difference is sufficient to
meet your experimental predictions?
BI206: Introductory Biology III Week 1 Lab Page 3 of 4

Response: There is more weight of BT corn when ECB’s are present vs. non -Bt corn, showing that
the Bt-corn is effective in being a natural insecticide.

Data Analysis

2. For Trial 1, enter your 9 values for the “Bt” seed variety into the data entry box. This tool will calculate
sample mean, standard deviation, and standard error.

Report:
- Bt mean: 163.4
- Standard deviation:7.0628
- Standard error here: 2.3543

3. Also for Trial 1, enter your 9 values for the “non-Bt” seed variety into the data entry box, and calculate
sample mean, standard deviation, and standard error.

Report:
- Bt mean: 175.4
- Standard deviation:6.2572
- Standard error here: 2.087

4. For Trial 2, enter your 9 values for the “Bt” seed variety into the data entry box. This tool will calculate
sample mean, standard deviation, and standard error.

Report:
- Bt mean: 162.9556
- Standard deviation: 7.1979
- Standard error here: 2.3993

5. Also for Trial 2, enter your 9 values for the “non-Bt” seed variety into the data entry box, and calculate
sample mean, standard deviation, and standard error.

Report:
- Bt mean: 140.3444
- Standard deviation: 5.0118
- Standard error here: 1.6706

Hypothesis Testing
Report your ANOVA output here:
BI206: Introductory Biology III Week 1 Lab Page 4 of 4

Means (one for each column):

Standard deviations (one for each column):
Standard Error (one for each column):
ANOVA F-value:
ANOVA P-value for comparisons between each mean: