Final answer:
Mendel's experiments with dihybrid crosses were conducted to test the hypothesis of independent assortment. He crossed pea plants with different pairs of traits to determine if these traits are inherited together or independently. The results showed that traits segregate independently during sex cell division, leading to Mendel's law of independent assortment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mendel's experiments with dihybrid crosses had the purpose of testing the hypothesis of independent assortment. By crossing pea plants with different pairs of traits, such as yellow round seeds and green wrinkled seeds, Mendel was able to determine if these traits were inherited together or independently.
The results of his dihybrid crosses showed that traits segregate independently during sex cell division. This led to the formulation of Mendel's second law of inheritance, known as the law of independent assortment.