Question

1. which of the following is an example of an abiotic factor?

a. soil
b. bacteria
c. animals
d. plants

1. why cant the carrying capacity of an ecosystem increase indefinitely?

a. because biotic factors are always constant
b. because populations always decrease
c. because the environment and resources are finite
d. because ecosystems are always balanced

1. according to graph 1, which of the following describes the relationship between grades and the amount of hours that students work?

a. negative, stronger relationship
b. negative, weaker relationship
c. positive, stronger relationship
d. positive, weaker relationship

Explanation:

• Question 13: Abiotic factors are non - living components of an ecosystem. Soil is non - living, while bacteria, animals, and plants are biotic (living) factors.
• Question 14: Carrying capacity is the maximum number of organisms an ecosystem can support. Since the environment and resources (like food, water, space) are finite, carrying capacity cannot increase indefinitely. Biotic factors are not always constant (e.g., predator - prey populations change), populations do not always decrease (they can grow under certain conditions), and ecosystems are not always balanced (they can be disrupted by natural disasters or human activities).
• Question 15: In Graph 1, as the number of hours worked (x - axis) increases, the grade (y - axis) also increases. This is a positive relationship. However, the data points are not perfectly on the line of best fit, indicating a weaker relationship (if it were a stronger relationship, the points would be very close to the line).

Answer:

1. a. Soil
2. c. Because the environment and resources are finite
3. d. Positive, weaker relationship