Question

An experiment was conducted on the population growth of worms. Worms were added to two identical bins. The bins were both kept at 20°C, except for the month of January when bin 2 was kept at 30°C. Each week, 2.5 kg of food was added to bin 1. In bin 2, 2.5 kg of food was added each week in all months except April. In April, 3.5 kg of food was added per week. The results of the experiment are below.


3
Which of the following probably accounted for the large drop in population in bin 2 from January to February?
A.
lack of water
B.
overpopulation
C.
overheating
D.
lack of food

Answer 1

To determine the cause of the large drop in population in bin 2 from January to February, we need to consider the conditions in bin 2 during that time. In January, the temperature was raised to 30°C, which is higher than the optimal 20°C.

The options given are:

A. Lack of water
B. Overpopulation
C. Overheating
D. Lack of food

Given that the temperature in bin 2 was raised significantly (which worms generally do not tolerate well) and that population decline is often linked to stress or mortality caused by high temperatures, the most likely explanation for the large drop in population from January to February would be:

C. Overheating

Worms are sensitive to temperature changes, and overheating could lead to negative effects such as mortality, which would account for the population decline.