Question

introduction: before the 19th century in england, the air was very clean. the bark on trees was usually light in color. abundant lichens growing on tree trunks also lightened their appearance.question: how does the color of a peppered moth affect survival?1. predict: over time, what will to happen to the populations of light and dark moths on light trees?2. experiment: click play and hunt peppered moths on light tree trunks for five years. in each year, try to capture as many moths as you can. note: you can use the spacebar on your keyboard to quickly advance to the next tree.after 5 years, select the table tab and record the percentages of each moth type. (note: the table shows current populations of each moth, not the number of captured moths.)3. analyze: what do your results show?4. apply: which type of moth do you think was more common before the 19th century, when most trees were light in color?5. extend your thinking: what strategies did you use to hunt for moths?

Explanation:

1. Predict: Light trees provide camouflage for light moths, making dark moths easier prey. Over time, natural selection will favor light moths, so their population increases while dark moths decrease.
2. Experiment: This is a hands-on simulation step. When running the experiment, record the annual population percentages of each moth type in the table. A typical simulated trend would be:

Year	Dark moths	Light moths
1	40%	60%
2	30%	70%
3	20%	80%
4	10%	90%
5	5%	95%

1. Analyze: The results show that light moths have higher survival rates on light tree trunks because they are harder to detect by predators, while dark moths are targeted more frequently, leading to a decline in their population.
2. Apply: Before the 19th century, most trees were light-colored, so light moths would have been better camouflaged and more common, as they faced less predation.
3. Extend your thinking: Common strategies include scanning tree trunks slowly to spot contrasting moth colors, focusing on areas of the tree where moths are likely to rest, and using the spacebar efficiently to move between trees quickly to maximize captures.

Answer:

1. The population of light moths will increase, and the population of dark moths will decrease.
2. (Example data)

Year	Dark moths	Light moths
1	40%	60%
2	30%	70%
3	20%	80%
4	10%	90%
5	5%	95%

1. Light moths survive better on light trees, so their population grows, while dark moths are preyed on more, so their population shrinks.
2. Light-colored moths were more common.
3. Strategies include scanning tree trunks for contrasting colors, focusing on high-rest areas, and using the spacebar to switch trees quickly.