Question

thursday, september 4
a biologist was studying the life span of the invasive emerald ash borer. she wanted to determine the average lifespan of the insect. what is the best way for the biologist to collect the data to answer this question?
a. collect 100 emerald ash borers and record how long they live after being caught
b. find one emerald ash borer egg, let it hatch and then record how long it lives
c. collect 50 male and 50 female emerald ash borers, collect any eggs they lay, let the eggs hatch and record how long they live.
d. count the number of dead and living emerald ash borers found around one tree

Explanation:

To determine the average lifespan of a species, a representative sample is needed. Option A provides a relatively large - sized sample of 100 insects, which is more likely to give an accurate estimate of the average lifespan compared to other options. Option B only focuses on one individual, which may not be representative. Option C is more complex and may introduce variables related to reproduction and offspring lifespan rather than just the lifespan of the initial insects. Option D only counts the number of dead and living around one tree, which doesn't measure lifespan.

Answer:

A. Collect 100 emerald ash borers and record how long they live after being caught