Question

the scientists next look at how silicon dioxide concentration might be related to coral health. the relative frequencies calculating using the total for each column are shown in the table.

considering this data, is there a possible association between coral health and the level of silicon dioxide concentration?
explain your reasoning.

Explanation:

To determine if there is an association, compare the relative frequencies of healthy and unhealthy corals in low - silicon and high - silicon columns. In the low - silicon dioxide concentration column, the relative frequency of healthy corals is 44% and unhealthy is 56%. In the high - silicon dioxide concentration column, healthy is 46% and unhealthy is 54%. There is a small difference (46% vs 44% for healthy and 54% vs 56% for unhealthy). This small difference suggests that as the silicon dioxide concentration changes from low to high, there is a slight change in the proportion of healthy and unhealthy corals.

Answer:

Yes, there is a possible association. The relative frequency of healthy corals increases slightly (from 44% to 46%) and the relative frequency of unhealthy corals decreases slightly (from 56% to 54%) as silicon dioxide concentration goes from low to high. This indicates that silicon dioxide concentration might have a small influence on coral health.