Variation of Traits Master Quiz

The images below show the same arctic fox. Image A was taken during the summer, while Image B was taken during the following winter. Which of the following factors is primarily responsible for the change in the arctic fox's coat color?

• age of the fox

• instinct

• environmental influence

• color preference

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NGSS.MS-LS1-5

The flower color of a certain hydrangea plant can change based on where this plant is grown. The flowers of this plant will be pink if the plant is grown in soil with a lot of acid, but they will be blue if the plant is grown in soil without much acid.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

Whether a hydrangea plant has pink flowers or blue flowers is

• learned from watching other hydrangea plants.

• inherited from the hydrangea plant's parent.

• affected by the hydrangea plant's environment.

• not able to be predicted.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

Some fish, like Burton's mouthbrooder, will fight with each other for territory and mates. Fish of this species become brightly colored when they want to fight. Fish who don't want to fight become dull-colored. Researchers used these steps to investigate fighting behavior in Burton's mouthbrooder fish: 1. A group of four fighting fish, named group X, were put into a tank with a group of four non-fighting fish, named group Y. 2. The number of fights group Y fish started were recorded. 3. The group X fish were taken out of the tank so that the group Y fish thought they won the fights. 4. The fighting behaviors of group Y fish were recorded. The graphs below show the results.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS1-4

What does this experiment show?

• Being alone increases the number of fighting behaviors a fish will make.

• A fish's behavior and appearance are only affected by its environment.

• The traits of a fish, like its coloring and how much it wants to fight, cannot change.

• Fighting for territory can affect a fish's inherited traits, like its appearance.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Which conclusion is supported by this data?

• Trees that receive more light produce larger and heavier leaves.

• The amount of light affects the size of tree leaves but not their mass.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

This tree is growing beside a steep cliff. The tree has some traits that are inherited and others that are influenced by its environment. Which trait is produced by the tree's environment?

• It is always growing.

• It has green leaves.

• It has a bent trunk.

• It has several branches.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

For a school science experiment, Sam took three jars of equal sizes and filled them with equal amounts of nutrient-rich soil. From a bag of mustard seeds, he sowed 10 seeds in Jar A, 20 seeds in Jar B, and 40 seeds in Jar C. All three jars were given the same amount of water and exposed to the same amount of sunlight daily. The growth of the mustard plants was monitored for three weeks, and the following measurements were recorded at the end of each week.

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NGSS.MS-LS1-5

What can Sam conclude from the recorded data?

• The growth rate of mustard plants is controlled completely by the seeds' genes.

• The growth rate of mustard plants remains constant as the plants grow from seeds.

• The growth rate of mustard plants is affected by the number of seeds planted in a particular area.

• The growth rate of mustard plants does not depend on the environment in which the seeds are grown.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

Based on the scientist's results, which of the following is true?

• Koi fish grow fastest in ponds with poor water quality.

• Koi fish grow larger in larger ponds with better water quality.

• Koi fish size is not affected by the size of the pond.

• Koi fish grow larger in smaller ponds with less food available.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-1