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March 29, 2024, 09:40:56 am

Author Topic: VCE Biology Question Thread  (Read 3571025 times)  Share 

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Reus

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #2850 on: September 19, 2014, 09:03:00 pm »
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I noticed on several VCAA exams that they ask questions on how we could design an experiment etc...
They're usually 3 marks, so 3 points to be made right? Could someone briefly what they expect in those answers? Like the control, IV and DV but what else?
Thank you!!
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vox nihili

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #2851 on: September 19, 2014, 09:10:30 pm »
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I noticed on several VCAA exams that they ask questions on how we could design an experiment etc...
They're usually 3 marks, so 3 points to be made right? Could someone briefly what they expect in those answers? Like the control, IV and DV but what else?
Thank you!!

Have a look at the assessment reports, all the information is there that you need. I'd encourage you to confirm what you find here, but there's no point just asking flat out...you'll remember it better if you find it for yourself! :)
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Reus

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #2852 on: September 19, 2014, 09:20:57 pm »
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Have a look at the assessment reports, all the information is there that you need. I'd encourage you to confirm what you find here, but there's no point just asking flat out...you'll remember it better if you find it for yourself! :)
I certainly did that haha! But what I realised was they all depended on the question and theory given. With 47% of the state getting 0 marks is quite alarming. :/

Would these suffice full marks?
• The use of at least two groups of identical groups (one control), IV, DV, group size, hypothesis.
• Discuss how ____ would have been measured.
• Discussion of the expected results and a conclusion based on the student’s prediction.

Also they mentioned 'the idea of replicating the experiment could also have been mentioned.' does that simply just mean the experiment if to be successful, it should be conducted by someone else for accuracy?

Thanks.

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vox nihili

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #2853 on: September 19, 2014, 09:47:13 pm »
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I certainly did that haha! But what I realised was they all depended on the question and theory given. With 47% of the state getting 0 marks is quite alarming. :/

Would these suffice full marks?
• The use of at least two groups of identical groups (one control), IV, DV, group size, hypothesis.
• Discuss how ____ would have been measured.
• Discussion of the expected results and a conclusion based on the student’s prediction.

Also they mentioned 'the idea of replicating the experiment could also have been mentioned.' does that simply just mean the experiment if to be successful, it should be conducted by someone else for accuracy?

Thanks.

That looks pretty good to me! The replication stuff is certainly right too. Really important part of confirming science. If you're making an observation about the natural world, you should be able to replicate it under the same conditions; if you can't, you probably haven't found anything.

Can you tell me why all of that stuff is important?
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Reus

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #2854 on: September 19, 2014, 09:58:45 pm »
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That looks pretty good to me! The replication stuff is certainly right too. Really important part of confirming science. If you're making an observation about the natural world, you should be able to replicate it under the same conditions; if you can't, you probably haven't found anything.

Can you tell me why all of that stuff is important?
Yeah I thought so. I was thinking that if the experiment isn't capable of replicating the results then no sure observations can really be made.

I'm not too sure what you mean by why they're all important but.... Is it because they're all determining factors of the aim? In order to achieve your investigation, these would be considered essentials. In terms of answering, it tests our ability of understanding experimental techniques and purpose. Ooo and its examinable since its on the study design :P 
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vox nihili

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #2855 on: September 19, 2014, 10:12:18 pm »
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Yeah I thought so. I was thinking that if the experiment isn't capable of replicating the results then no sure observations can really be made.

I'm not too sure what you mean by why they're all important but.... Is it because they're all determining factors of the aim? In order to achieve your investigation, these would be considered essentials. In terms of answering, it tests our ability of understanding experimental techniques and purpose. Ooo and its examinable since its on the study design :P

Ok so why is each of these things important:

Big groups
Identical or similar groups
Same conditions
Control
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Reus

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #2856 on: September 19, 2014, 10:29:44 pm »
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Ok so why is each of these things important:

Big groups
Identical or similar groups
Same conditions
Control

Big groups: incase a portion of your sample doesn't work, dies, is corrupted or something of that sort occurs you have more samples too obtain results from.
Identical or similar groups: this is essential since results can be manipulated by external conditions and if they vary for different groups, results aren't accurate.
Same conditions: assurance that other environmental factors do not influence the response/results.
Control: for comparison and set standard.

I think.... :P
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vox nihili

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #2857 on: September 19, 2014, 10:52:38 pm »
+1
Big groups: incase a portion of your sample doesn't work, dies, is corrupted or something of that sort occurs you have more samples too obtain results from.
Identical or similar groups: this is essential since results can be manipulated by external conditions and if they vary for different groups, results aren't accurate.
Same conditions: assurance that other environmental factors do not influence the response/results.
Control: for comparison and set standard.

I think.... :P

Yep, you're essentially there with most of it!

Big groups: this is to deal with the effect of randomness. So if you think about if you were doing a study on whether a drug causes heart attacks. You have a group of two people. One gets the placebo, the other gets the drug. The one with the placebo has a heart attack a week later and dies. What might you conclude from this study? You may conclude that the drug actually prevents heart attacks. I'm sure you can see why this conclusion is a little bullshit...there are any number of reasons why that person suffered a heart attack. So, by having larger groups, you help to reduce the effect of random events like that. Because if you've got really big groups, a random effect in one group is likely to be replicated in the other group. The bigger, the better group wise!

Identical/similar groups: when you're conducting an experiment, you want to draw a relationship between two variables (i.e. you're trying to work out whether A causes B). By making the groups identical, you limit any other factors that could cause the result you're looking for. E.g. if you're looking at whether a drug causes people to lose weight, and you put obese people in the weight loss group and skinny people in the control, then you've pretty much stacked your study...of course the obese people are going to lose more weight, they have more weight to lose!

Same conditions: same as identical/similar groups; to make sure that nothing interferes with the results

Control: exactly what you said, it's a standard against which one can compare a result.
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Reus

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #2858 on: September 19, 2014, 11:25:30 pm »
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Yep, you're essentially there with most of it!

Big groups: this is to deal with the effect of randomness. So if you think about if you were doing a study on whether a drug causes heart attacks. You have a group of two people. One gets the placebo, the other gets the drug. The one with the placebo has a heart attack a week later and dies. What might you conclude from this study? You may conclude that the drug actually prevents heart attacks. I'm sure you can see why this conclusion is a little bullshit...there are any number of reasons why that person suffered a heart attack. So, by having larger groups, you help to reduce the effect of random events like that. Because if you've got really big groups, a random effect in one group is likely to be replicated in the other group. The bigger, the better group wise!

Identical/similar groups: when you're conducting an experiment, you want to draw a relationship between two variables (i.e. you're trying to work out whether A causes B). By making the groups identical, you limit any other factors that could cause the result you're looking for. E.g. if you're looking at whether a drug causes people to lose weight, and you put obese people in the weight loss group and skinny people in the control, then you've pretty much stacked your study...of course the obese people are going to lose more weight, they have more weight to lose!

Same conditions: same as identical/similar groups; to make sure that nothing interferes with the results

Control: exactly what you said, it's a standard against which one can compare a result.
Thank you so much! Seriously appreciate the reply and effort.  ;D
One thing are placebo groups always controls? Or could you consider them an experimental group too?
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vox nihili

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #2859 on: September 19, 2014, 11:46:13 pm »
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Thank you so much! Seriously appreciate the reply and effort.  ;D
One thing are placebo groups always controls? Or could you consider them an experimental group too?

No worries mate!

Placebo is a control. They're there to deal with the placebo effect (people who know they're getting treated tend to get better simply because they're getting treated, not because it necessarily works).
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Rishi97

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #2860 on: September 20, 2014, 10:22:16 am »
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In regards to human evolution:
Do we need to know about graciles and robusts?
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Reus

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #2861 on: September 20, 2014, 12:15:05 pm »
+1
No worries mate!

Placebo is a control. They're there to deal with the placebo effect (people who know they're getting treated tend to get better simply because they're getting treated, not because it necessarily works).
Thank you again!

In regards to human evolution:
Do we need to know about graciles and robusts?
I'd be familiar with them, good metalanguage distinguishes good exam papers from the ordinary.
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Reus

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #2862 on: September 20, 2014, 12:36:43 pm »
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Also what is the difference between lymphocytes and leucocytes?
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Rishi97

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #2863 on: September 20, 2014, 12:41:41 pm »
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What is the name given to a gene that controls other genes?
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anat0my

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Re: VCE Biology Question Thread
« Reply #2864 on: September 20, 2014, 12:55:40 pm »
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What is the name given to a gene that controls other genes?

Regulator genes or homeotic genes.