Final Answer:
A dihybrid cross involving genes for plant height (tall or dwarf) and flower color (purple or white).
Step-by-step explanation:
Mendel's experiments with pea plants involved the study of traits controlled by different genes. In this specific cross, where one parent is tall with purple flowers and the other is a dwarf with white flowers, it suggests a dihybrid cross. Mendel's observations and subsequent principles of inheritance revealed that traits like plant height (tall or dwarf) and flower color (purple or white) segregate independently during gamete formation.
The likelihood of obtaining various combinations of these traits in the offspring can be explained through the principles of Mendelian genetics, specifically the law of independent assortment. In a dihybrid cross, the inheritance of two different traits is considered simultaneously.