Variation

9.A student plots a histogram of human height and observes a bell-shaped curve. This suggests that height is:

10.Which of the following best explains why different species have different characteristics?

11.Variation within a species is caused by:

12.A bar chart showing the number of students with each blood type (A, B, AB, O) would have:

13.A scientist measures the beak depth of 100 finches on an island and records the following measurements (in mm): 8.2, 8.5, 8.3, 8.6, 8.4, 8.7, 8.5, 8.6, 8.8, 8.9, and so on, with values ranging continuously from 8.0 to 9.5 mm. This is an example of:

17.A student plots a bar chart showing the number of students with each blood type (A, B, AB, O). This type of variation is called:

18.Which of the following is most likely to show continuous variation?

19.In a population of 200 plants, flower colour is controlled by a single gene with two alleles: R (red) and r (white). The number of plants with each genotype is: RR = 50, Rr = 100, rr = 50. Which type of variation does flower colour show?

20.The histogram below (not shown) shows the distribution of a trait with a bell-shaped curve. Which of the following traits would most likely produce this pattern?

21.A scientist measures the mass of 50 eggs from a chicken farm and records values from 45 g to 70 g. The data is grouped into 5 g intervals. Which type of graph is most appropriate to display this data?

22.Which of the following statements about variation is correct?

25.A scientist investigates variation in the number of petals on flowers of the same species. She counts the petals on 200 flowers and records the following frequencies: 3 petals (5 flowers), 4 petals (20 flowers), 5 petals (150 flowers), 6 petals (20 flowers), 7 petals (5 flowers). Which term best describes this type of variation?

26.In an experiment to investigate variation in leaf length, a student measures 50 leaves from a single oak tree. Which of the following is the most likely shape of the distribution?

27.A student plots a histogram of the heights of 155 year 9 students. The histogram shows a peak in the 150–160 cm category and fewer students in the shorter and taller categories. Which of the following statements is correct?

28.A biologist measures the mass of 100 adult frogs from a pond. The masses range from 20 g to 50 g, with most frogs around 35 g. The biologist then removes the five heaviest frogs from the pond and measures the masses of the remaining frogs again after one year. What is the most likely change in the distribution of masses?

29.A student investigates variation in the length of bean seedlings grown from the same batch of seeds. She plants 50 seeds in identical soil and gives them the same amount of water and light. After two weeks, she measures the shoot length of each seedling and finds a range from 5 cm to 15 cm. What is the most likely cause of this variation?

31.A scientist measures the length of 100 leaves from a tree and records the following data: 5 leaves are 4 cm, 15 leaves are 5 cm, 40 leaves are 6 cm, 30 leaves are 7 cm, 10 leaves are 8 cm. Which type of graph should be used to display this data?

32.In a study of variation, a scientist measures the wingspan of 200 birds of the same species. She finds a range from 20 cm to 30 cm, with a mean of 25 cm. She then measures the wingspan of the offspring of these birds and finds the same range but a mean of 24.5 cm. Which of the following is the most likely explanation?

34.What type of graph is most appropriate for representing continuous variation?

35.A scientist measures the height of 200 students and records values from 140 cm to 190 cm with no clear categories. This is an example of:

36.A scientist measures the mass of 50 eggs from a chicken farm and records values from 45 g to 70 g. The data is grouped into 5 g intervals. Which type of graph is most appropriate?

37.A student plots a histogram of the heights of 155 year 9 students. The histogram shows a peak in the 150–160 cm category and fewer students in the shorter and taller categories. This distribution is typical of:

39.A scientist investigates variation in leaf length of a plant species. She measures 100 leaves and records the following data: 5 leaves are 4 cm, 15 leaves are 5 cm, 40 leaves are 6 cm, 30 leaves are 7 cm, and 10 leaves are 8 cm. What is the mean leaf length?

40.A student plots a histogram of the heights of 155 year 9 students. The histogram shows a peak in the 150–160 cm category and fewer students in the shorter and taller categories. This distribution is best described as:

41.Variation refers only to differences between different species.

42.Continuous variation shows a range of differences that gradually change.

43.Blood type is an example of continuous variation.

44.Which of the following is the best definition of variation in biology?

45.Which type of graph is most appropriate for representing continuous variation?

46.A scientist measures the height of 200 students and finds values from 140 cm to 190 cm with no clear categories. This is an example of:

47.A histogram shows a bell-shaped curve for a trait. This pattern is most likely associated with:

48.Which of the following are characteristics of discontinuous variation? (Select all that apply)

49.Match each type of variation with its correct description.

50.Arrange the following steps in the correct order to plot a histogram for continuous variation data.

51.State whether height is an example of continuous or discontinuous variation.

53.Explain why different species have different characteristics.