Anna Scientist Kathod Thinking: Testing the Safety of Bisphenol A What are you doing? Hutiana has designed an experiment to test her hypothesis about the effects of BPA on mice. They administered daily doses of BPA to these mice and observed any abnormalities that occur during BPA exposure. The labels below can be dragged to identify the components of Hunt’s experiment. Labels may be used once, more than once, or not at all. Dosage (ng/g) BPA Dosage 20 ng/g BPA Dosage 40 ng/g BPA Dosage 100 ng/g BPA Date Side Adequate Fun Even Control Jade Wannuta Gaul Kepeleantmanns Cols Drop Lrolm Inded nileina Vnst Dosage BPA administered (ng/g) Duration The length of time over which mice were exposed to BPA (days) Downy The percentage of mice displaying genetic abnormalities (on F) Submit Best Answer
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Drag-and-drop questions:
1. Dosage of BPA administered is a(n)
Answer: Independent variable
- Explanation: The independent variable is what the experimenter changes. In this experiment, the amount of BPA given to the mice (0, 20, 40, or 100 ng/g) is manipulated to study its effects.
2. The length of time over which mice were exposed to BPA is a(n)
Answer: Controlled variable
- Explanation: The duration (3, 5, or 7 days) is kept consistent across dosage groups for comparison. It is not the primary focus of the study but must be controlled to ensure a fair test.
3. The percentage of mice displaying genetic abnormalities is the
Answer: Dependent variable
- Explanation: The dependent variable is what is measured in the experiment. Here, it’s the effect—genetic abnormalities—that may result from different BPA dosages.
Summary Explanation
In scientific experiments, it is crucial to identify the different types of variables to understand the experiment’s structure and ensure valid results. In Hunt’s experiment to evaluate the effects of Bisphenol A (BPA) on mice, the researchers altered the daily dosage of BPA given to different groups of mice. These dosages were 0 ng/g, 20 ng/g, 40 ng/g, and 100 ng/g of BPA. This makes the BPA dosage the independent variable, as it is the factor that the researchers changed to observe its impact.
Another important element is the controlled variable, which in this case is the length of exposure to BPA. The mice were observed at consistent intervals of 3, 5, and 7 days across all groups, ensuring that differences in outcomes could be more confidently attributed to BPA dosage rather than time.
The dependent variable is the percentage of mice that showed genetic abnormalities. This is what the researchers measured to evaluate the effects of BPA. The abnormalities serve as a response to the independent variable (BPA dosage) and are used to determine whether higher BPA levels correlate with more genetic defects.
Identifying these variables helps maintain a structured scientific method, allowing for reproducible and objective testing. By analyzing how genetic abnormalities varied with BPA dosage over controlled time periods, the researchers could better understand the potential genetic risks of BPA exposure.
