CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL BIOLOGY: COURSEBOOK

Sample answers have been written by the authors.

Coursebook answers
Chapter P2
Self-assessment questions
1 Read the position of the meniscus at time 0, 5 The intermediate values in the calculation
and then again after a measured length of have been given to 3 decimal places. The final
time – say, five minutes. The rate of movement value of s is rounded to 2 decimal places.
of the meniscus will be proportional to the
rate of respiration of the yeast. x (x – x̄) (x – x̄)2
2.8 – 0.216 0.047
2 All except c, the length of the capillary tubing. 3.1   0.084 0.007
It is probably also unimportant to control the
2.9 – 0.116 0.013
light intensity, f.
3.2   0.184 0.034
3 a Use a top pan balance to measure 1 g of 2.9 – 0.116 0.013
glucose. Place in a volumetric flask with 2.7 – 0.316 0.100
some distilled water and dissolve fully. 3.0 – 0.016 0.000
Make up to 100 cm3 with distilled water.
2.8 – 0.216 0.047
b Use a top pan balance to measure 2.5 g of 2.9 – 0.116 0.013
glucose. Place in a volumetric flask with 3.0 – 0.016 0.000
some distilled water and dissolve fully. 3.2   0.184 0.034
Make up to 250 cm3 with distilled water. 3.1   0.084 0.007
c Calculate the relative molecular 3.0 – 0.016 0.000
mass of glucose. This is (6 × 12) + 3.2   0.184 0.034
(12 × 1) + (6 × 16) = 72 + 12 + 96 = 180. 3.0 – 0.016 0.000
3.1   0.084 0.007
Use a top pan balance to measure 180 g
3.3   0.284 0.081
of glucose. Add this to a small amount of
distilled water in a volumetric flask. Add 3.2   0.184 0.034
distilled water to make the solution up to 2.9 – 0.116 0.013
a total volume of 1 dm3. ∑x = 57.3 ∑(x - x̄ )2 = 0.484
n = 19 n − 1 = 18
d Measure 0.5 dm3 of the 1 mol dm–3 x̄ = 3.016 ∑(x − –x)2
solution into a volumetric flask. Add = 0.269
n−1
water to make up to 1 dm3.
s = 0.269
e A suitable range could be 0 (distilled = 0.16
water) to a 1% solution. The intervals
could be 0.2%, so that the individual 6 s = 0.16
solutions would be: 0, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, n = 19
0.8% and 1%. s
SE =
n
4 They are all the same. 0.16 0.16
= = 4.36 = 0.04
19

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 CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL BIOLOGY: COURSEBOOK

7 The intermediate values in the calculation Σ (x − x–)2 = 13 659

have been given to 3 decimal places. The final
∑(x − x–)2
value of s is rounded to 2 decimal places. s=
n−1
x (x – x̄) (x – x̄)2
57 −38.575 1488.031 13 659
=
60 −35.575 1265.581 39
67 −28.575 816.531
= 350.23
72 −23.575 555.781
= 18.71
72 −23.575 555.781
18.71
76 −19.575 383.181 8 SE =
78 −17.575 308.881 40
18.71
79 −16.575 274.731 =
6.32
81 −14.575 212.431
= 2.96
83 −12.575 158.131
84 −11.575 133.981 9 a
86 −9.575   91.681 Error bars represent
87 −8.575   73.531 ±2 × the standard deviation
88 −7.575   57.381 100
88 −7.575   57.381
90 −5.575   31.081
92 −3.575   12.781
80
92 −3.575   12.781
93 −2.575    6.631
94 −1.575    2.481
95 −0.575    0.331 60
Mean mass / g

97   1.425    2.031
98   2.425    5.881
99   3.425   11.731
100   4.425   19.581 40
101   5.425   29.431
101   5.425   29.431
103   7.425   55.131
20
105   9.425   88.831
106   10.425 108.681
107   11.425 130.531
109   13.425 180.231 0
111   15.425 237.931 Lemon fruits set 1 Lemon fruits set 2
113   17.425 303.631
b The error bars for the two sets of fruits
119   23.425 548.731
do not overlap, so it is possible that the
120   24.425 596.581
difference between them is significant.
125   29.425 865.831 You cannot be sure about this and would
128   32.425 1051.381 need to do a further statistical test, such
132   36.425 1326.781 as a t-test, to be able to answer this
135   39.425 1554.331 question.
∑x = 3823 ∑(x - x̄ )2 = 13 643.790
n = 40 n – 1 = 39
x̄ = 95.575 ∑(x − –x)2
= 349.841
n−1
s= 349.841 = 18.7

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 CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL AS & A LEVEL BIOLOGY: COURSEBOOK

10 a D, E

b A

c C, D

d C, D, E

e C, D

Reflection
Many learners (and teachers) will have experiences
that will cause them to support the idea that it
is more difficult to achieve the ‘right’ results in
biology experiments than in physics or chemistry.
Learners should be encouraged to use their own
experiences of practical work in biology, and
also in physics and chemistry if they have this
experience, to support their viewpoint.
There could be quite wide-ranging discussion of
whether this is correct, and if so why. Learners
could be encouraged to think about:
• what is meant by the ‘right’ results – are any
results ever ‘wrong’, or do we just interpret
them inappropriately?
• the inherent variability of biological material
• the complexity of many experiments in
biology, where many different variables need
to be standardised, and it is often difficult or
impossible to do this successfully
• the complexity of the relationship between
independent variables in biology, where there
is rarely a simple mathematical relationship
such as you would expect to find in physics
• the difficulty of measuring the dependent
variable in many biology experiments, where
you cannot use a simple instrument to do so
but have to devise techniques that may not be
entirely valid, accurate or precise.
The discussion could then lead on to why we need
to use statistical tests in biology, whereas these are
not used in chemistry or physics (at least at this
level).

3 Cambridge International AS & A Level Biology © Cambridge University Press 2020