Consider the researcher's experiments on the mysterious die-offs of fish in North Carolina rivers. Which of the following best represents her main hypothesis?
Question 8 options:
Fish maintained in laboratory environments were dying when exposed to river water.
Microscopic organisms called “protists” accumulated in large numbers in laboratory fish tanks just before the fish died.
Microscopic organisms called “protists” were responsible for causing the fish die-offs.
Fish maintained in laboratory environments and not exposed to river water did not die.
im guessing A is the answer?
Not possible to answer without knowing her experiments.
the possibilities are what they claim might have been what her main hypothesis might have been based on. Since fishes need water and their natural habitat for survival, im guessing the answer was the first option to represent her hypothesis.
To determine the correct answer, let's first break down the question and consider each option:
Option A: Fish maintained in laboratory environments were dying when exposed to river water.
This option suggests that the hypothesis is that fish in laboratory environments die when they come into contact with river water.
Option B: Microscopic organisms called “protists” accumulated in large numbers in laboratory fish tanks just before the fish died.
This option suggests that the hypothesis is that high accumulation of protists in laboratory fish tanks is related to the death of fish.
Option C: Microscopic organisms called “protists” were responsible for causing the fish die-offs.
This option suggests that the hypothesis is that protists are the main cause behind the fish die-offs in North Carolina rivers.
Option D: Fish maintained in laboratory environments and not exposed to river water did not die.
This option suggests that the hypothesis is that fish in laboratory environments that were not exposed to river water did not die.
Now, let's evaluate the options. The question asks for the researcher's MAIN hypothesis, which means we need to identify the central idea or key focus of the research.
Option A focuses on the effect of river water on fish in laboratory environments, indicating it could be a potential hypothesis. However, it does not consider the cause of fish die-offs in rivers or the involvement of protists.
Option B focuses on protist accumulation in fish tanks but does not directly address the cause of fish die-offs in rivers.
Option C specifically states that protists are responsible for the fish die-offs, aligning with the main hypothesis possibility.
Option D addresses fish not dying in laboratory environments without river water, but it does not address the die-offs in North Carolina rivers.
Therefore, based on the options provided, the best representation of the researcher's main hypothesis is option C: Microscopic organisms called "protists" were responsible for causing the fish die-offs.