I need this completed ASAP no later than 10pm tonight (Pacific Time)
BonitaApplebong
Lab 1 – Introduction to Science
Exercise 1: The Scientific Method
Dissolved oxygen is oxygen that is trapped in a fluid, such as water. Since many living organisms require oxygen to survive, it is a necessary component of water systems such as streams, lakes, and rivers in order to support aquatic life. The dissolved oxygen is measured in units of parts per million (ppm). Examine the data in Table 4 showing the amount of dissolved oxygen present and the number of fish observed in the body of water the sample was taken from and then answer the questions below.
QUESTIONS
1. Make an observation – Based on the data in Table 4, describe the relationship between dissolved oxygen content and fish populations in the body of water. Discuss the pattern observed in the data set.
Answer = The Qualitative aspect of the table would be the number of fish observed, since there isn’t any way to know for sure exactly how many fish were in the stream or lake that was observed. There is room for human error since there are other living organisms/animals that live in the streams or lakes like bacteria, Fungi or bears that drink directly from it. The Dissolved oxygen (ppm) would be the quantitative observation. The number of fish observed and ppm have a middle ground between 6 and 14 ppm. It would seem that the Ideal water quality for more fish in the water would be between 8 and 12 ppm.This table also doesn’t say if the recordings were taken in the day time or at night which is a big factor because photosynthesis is used to create air under water.
2. Do background research – Utilizing at least one scholarly source, describe how variations in dissolved oxygen content in a body of water can affect fish populations.
Answer = Variations in dissolved oxygen content in a body of water can affect fish populations by decreasing the life span on the fish and disrupt their nesting habits. Certain fish do not like to lay their eggs in certain temperatures of water and; the eggs that fish lay won’t be able to survive if the oxygen levels aren’t even and able to support life when they hatch. “If embryos survive to hypoxia, their development is nonetheless slower, and they are smaller at hatching compared to no stressed individuals.” (Evanno, G. 2012).If fish don’t get the correct amount of oxygen and temperatures they become slow in development and easily die off.
3. Construct a hypothesis – Based on your observation in Question 1 and your background research in Question 2, develop a hypothesis statement that addresses the relationship between dissolved oxygen in the water sample and the number of fish observed in the body of water.
Answer = my hypothesis would be that the temperature and light that a lake or river receives greatly affects the amount of fish and oxygen that is in the water.
4. Test with an experiment – Describe an experiment that would allow you to test your hypothesis from question 3. This description must provide ample detail to show knowledge of experimental design and should list the independent and dependent variables, as well as your control.
Answer = I would test my hypothesis by going to 5 different lakes so that I have a good amount of sources and differences between lakes, streams, rivers and ponds. I would take 5 samples of day water from each of the locations and also 5 night water samples from each place and label them appropriately. All water would be collected in the same day but experimented on the next. Night samples would go in a dark box after temperature and the pph was taken to compare in the morning, and the same for the day samples except they would go in a clear container in order to keep light on them.
5. Analyze results – Assume that your experiment produces results identical to those seen in Table 4, what type of graph would be appropriate for displaying the data and why?
Answer = The graphs I would use for my experiments would be bar graphs for a simpler form of representation and table graphs with written descriptions of my locations,day/night,oxygen levels and temperatures so that its more in-depth of what your looking at.
6. Analyze results - Graph the data from Table 4 and describe what your graph looks like (you do not have to submit a picture of the actual graph).
Answer = my graph looks exactly like the data from table 4.It has the box windows for each variable and all the sections for the data provided. I was lucky enough to take a class before this one that taught me how to use graphs.
7. Draw conclusions - Interpret the data from the graph made in Question 6. What conclusions can you make based on the results of this graph?
Answer = I can’t make any solid conclusions from the results of the graph because I feel like there was too many variables left out on how this data was taken and used in the table.
8. Draw conclusions – Assuming that your experiment produced results identical to those seen in Table 4; would you reject or accept the hypothesis that you produced in question 3? Explain how you determined this.
Answer = I would accept the hypothesis if they based the results off of night and day as I explained in my hypothesis and my experiment produced the same results. If it were not based from a photosynthesis point of view then I would have to reject it being that there would be too many factors not factored in correctly.
References
Any sources utilized should be listed here.
Côte, J., Roussel, J., Cam, S., Bal, G., & Evanno, G. (2012). Population differences in response to hypoxic stress in Atlantic salmon. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 25(12), 2596-2606. doi:10.1111/jeb.12007
© eScience Labs, 2015