Name_________________________ SCHS Biology
Data Analysis Worksheet
Background: One of the most important steps that a scientist completes during an experiment is
data processing and presentation. Data can be analyzed by the presentation of the data in table
format (data table), or the processing of that data through graphical manipulation to visually
discern the differences in the variables tested. The purpose of this worksheet is to give you an
opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of these scientific skills.
Reading a data table: Examine the date found in Table 1 and answer questions #1-4.
Table 1: Growth of eight plants in a three week period
Height Height Height
Amount of Light Amount of Water
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3
per day per day
in cm in cm in cm
Plant 1 0 hours ¼ cup 0 cm 0 cm 0 cm
Plant 2 0 hours 1 cup 0 cm 0 cm 0 cm
Plant 3 4 hours ¼ cup 1 cm 3 cm 6 cm
Plant 4 4 hours 1 cup 0.5 cm 1 cm 1.5 cm
Plant 5 8 hours ¼ cup 1.5 cm 4 cm 8 cm
Plant 6 8 hours 1 cup 1 cm 3 cm 6 cm
Plant 7 16 hours ¼ cup 1 cm 2 cm 3 cm
Plant 8 16 hours 1 cup 1.5 cm 5 cm 10 cm
1. In this plant growth experiment, what were the two variables tested?
2. What conclusions can you draw in regards to the amount of light a plant was exposed to
and how tall the plant grew?
3. What conclusions can you draw in regards to the amount of water given to a plant and
how tall the plant grew?
4. Describe which plant or plants did he best and develop a hypothesis on plant growth
based on the date you examined.
Name_________________________ SCHS Biology
Graphing: When you are graphing data you must title the graph, label the axis; the dependent (y)
variable goes on the vertical axis and the independent (x, most constant) variable goes on the
horizontal axis. When determining the scale of your graph, make the scale as large as possible
within the limits of the paper. A line graph is used when a relationship between two variables is
being studied, and a bar graph is used to look at comparisons of data.
On Graph paper create a line graph of the data in Table 2.
Table 2: Breathing rate of the freshwater Sunfish
Temperature (oC) Breathing Rate per minute
10 15
15 25
18 30
20 38
23 60
25 57
27 25
On Graph paper create a bar graph of the data in Table 3
Table 3: Average rainfall in Willamette Valley
Month Jan. Feb. Mar. April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
Rainfall
15 21 28 24 16 8 2 1 2 3 5 10
(ml)
Data Tables: Use the following information to create a data table, and then answer the five
questions below.
On an expedition around the world, scientists collected the venom of ten snakes. The
scientists determined the toxicity of the venom of each snake by looking at the mortality percent
from the victims of the snake bites.
The snakes observed were the southern United States copperhead with a mortality percent
of less than 1%, the western diamondback rattlesnake with 5-15% mortality, the eastern coral
snake with 5-20% mortality, the king cobra with greater than 40% mortality, the Indian krait
with 77% mortality, the European viper with 1-5% mortality, the bushmaster with usually 100%
mortality, the fer-de-lance with 10-20% mortality, the black-necked cobra with 11-40%
mortality, and the puff adder with 11-40% mortality.
1. Which snake venom has the highest mortality rate?
2. Which snake venom has the lowest mortality rate?
3. Which two snakes have the same mortality percentage?
4. How many snakes were observed?
5. From the information recorded can you determine the snake whose venom works the
most rapidly? The least rapidly? Explain.
