Final answer:
The observed probability of getting a green pea is 0.502, which is reasonably close to the expected value of 0.50, aligning well with Mendel's 3:1 phenotypic ratio for the F₂ generation from his genetic experiments.
Step-by-step explanation:
The probability of getting a green offspring pea can be estimated by dividing the number of green peas observed by the total number of peas. In the provided genetics experiment, there are 440 green peas and 436 yellow peas, giving a total of 876 peas. To calculate the probability, divide 440 (green peas) by 876 (total peas), which equals approximately 0.502 (rounded to three decimal places).
Comparing this to Mendel's model of inheritance for pea plants, which predicts a 3:1 phenotypic ratio of yellow to green peas for the F₂ generation, we can conclude that the observed ratio is close to the expected value. In Mendelian genetics, when crossing a true-breeding plant with yellow seeds (YY) with a green-seeded plant (yy), all F₁ offspring are expected to be heterozygous (Yy) and exhibit a yellow phenotype because yellow is dominant over green. For the F₂ generation, where these F₁ hybrids self-pollinate or cross-pollinate with each other, the expected ratio is 3 yellow : 1 green, due to the phenotypic expression of the YY, Yy, and yy genotypes.
Thus, a probability of 0.502 observed in the experiment is reasonably close to the expected value of 0.50 or 50%, given that we're looking at a large sample size and considering the variability that may occur in an actual biological experiment.