Chapter 5: Problem 1

The Hg concentrations measured in the RAFT program problem were taken from "keeper" size smallmouth bass, roughly \(35 \mathrm{~cm}\) long. A few scattered measurements from larger and smaller bass indicated that there was some systematic relationship between \(\mathrm{Hg}\) concentrations and fish size at each site, but not across sites. What systematic relationships would you predict to be present in fish of different sizes? What quantities might be relevant to this problem? Formulate a testable hypothesis for expected systematic variation in smallmouth bass tissue Hg concentration as a function of fish size.

Short Answer

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The expected systematic relationship would be a direct proportionality between the size of a smallmouth bass and its tissue mercury concentration. Relevant quantities could be the size of the fish, the mercury concentration, and potentially the specific site the fish is from, as the problem indicates variation across sites.

Step by step solution

Identifying Factors

Mercury levels in fish could be influenced by several factors, including the fish’s diet, the fish's habitat (specifically, mercury levels in the water), and the age or size of the fish. As larger fish are often older and have had a longer exposure to mercury, they could potentially have higher mercury levels.

Formulating a Hypothesis

Putting the available information together, a testable hypothesis could be formulated, such as: 'The mercury concentration in smallmouth bass is directly proportional to its size. This is because larger fish, which are often older due to their size, have had a longer time period to accumulate mercury. However, this relationship could vary across different sites due to differences in factors such as mercury levels in the water or variations in the fish's diet.'

Identifying Relevant Quantities

The relevant quantities to test this hypothesis could include: the size of the fish (in centimeters), the habitat or site the fish were found in (to account for site-specific variances), and the concentration of mercury in fish tissue (in micrograms per gram or parts per million).

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Short Answer

Step by step solution

Identifying Factors

Formulating a Hypothesis

Identifying Relevant Quantities

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