LEAP Interpreting Scientific Data 5

Question 1

A scientist tracks the number of daylight hours and average monthly temperature in Louisiana throughout the year. Both peak in June and drop in December. What type of relationship does this represent?

Accepted Answer

Positive correlation

Answer

When two variables both peak and drop at the same times, they show a positive correlation.

Question 2

A table shows the results of a drug trial: 80% of the treatment group improved, while 30% of the control group also improved. What does the control group data tell the scientist?

Accepted Answer

Some improvement occurs even without the drug, which must be accounted for

Answer

The control group improvement (30%) represents baseline or placebo improvement, which must be considered when evaluating the drug's true effect.

Question 3

A histogram shows the distribution of test scores for a class. The tallest bar is in the 80–90 range. What does this indicate?

Accepted Answer

Most students scored between 80 and 90

Answer

The tallest bar in a histogram represents the interval with the greatest frequency — the most students scored in the 80–90 range.

Question 4

Data collected over 10 years shows that the average wingspan of monarch butterflies in a study population has decreased by 4 mm. What type of evidence is this?

Accepted Answer

Quantitative data showing a measurable trend over time

Answer

Measured numerical changes tracked over multiple years constitute quantitative data showing a trend.

Question 5

A student notices that a graph's y-axis starts at 500 instead of 0. How might this affect interpretation of the data?

Accepted Answer

It makes differences between bars appear larger than they actually are

Answer

When the y-axis does not start at zero, small differences between values can look much larger, potentially misleading the reader.

(LEAP) Louisiana Educational Assessment Program Practice Test

(LEAP) Louisiana Educational Assessment Program Practice Test

LEAP Interpreting Scientific Data 5