Question

A laboratory study was conducted to investigate whether spider weight affects the diameter of the web that orb spiders produce. the scientists exposed 20 spiders to a diet with sow bugs and flies and another 20 spiders to a diet of cap’n crunch. however, two of the spiders given the diet of sow bugs and flies died of malnutrition during the experiment. at the end of the first month scientists determined the diameter (in mm) of the webs spun by each spider. is there a significant difference in the mean diameter of webs spun by those fed a natural diet and those fed a diet high in artificial colors and flavors? assume all assumptions met.

Answer 1

The study investigates how diet affects spider weight and web diameter. It aims to determine if artificial colors and flavors in Cap'n Crunch affect web diameter compared to a natural diet.

Step-by-step explanation:

The laboratory study examining whether spider weight influences the diameter of webs produced by orb spiders is a clear example of biological research. Spiders spin webs primarily to catch their prey, which is a critical animal behavior for their survival. In the context of this study, the scientists fed one group of spiders a diet of sow bugs and flies, and another group a diet of Cap'n Crunch, to see if diet and associated spider weight affected web size. The results would show if artificial colors and flavors in a diet could influence the mean diameter of the webs spun. Considering two of the spiders on the natural diet died, these data points would likely be excluded from the analysis.

Spiders rely on the elasticity of their webs to absorb the impact of prey hitting the web without breaking. Thus, the physical properties of spider webs, such as size and strength, are vital to the spider's ability to capture food and thus survive. The experiment's findings could shed light on how diet affects web-building, and by extension, spider survival. If there was a significant difference in web diameters based on the diets, it might suggest that artificial ingredients have a detrimental effect on spider health or web construction capabilities.