Jordan Johnson

Mrs. Sintich
Advanced Placement Biology
August 22, 2015
Population Models with Excel
1. List the standards that this lab addresses: 2.D.1:c and 4.A.5: c.1-4
2. What are the equations for exponential and logistic growth?

3. In a real population, there are two factors that determine population growth: birth rate and
death rate. In your exponential model, where were these factors incorporated when calculating
your new population number?
When calculating the new population number, the r-value, which stands for rate,
incorporates both the birth and death rate for the population.
4. In your exponential model, you should have a population change over 20 years and then one
over 100 years. There should also be a graph to represent each.
! Set the r value to .05 for both populations, then save the document.
! Upload the document into Google Drive.
! Finally, pull up the document on the ipad and take a screenshot of the page to be used
for your portfolio.

a. How do the graphs compare to each other? Explain the differences you see in terms of effect
of time to population growth.
Both of the graphs have the same basic J-shape, but they are very different in several
regards. When looking at the population over a hundred years the curve is much more
exaggerated then the population growth for the twenty year period. This is the case,
because the exponential population has a "snowball" effect, where the population gets
larger and larger as the time period progresses.
5. Using graphs and data from the exponential model, explain how the population and graph
changes when the r value changes (include increase, decrease, and 0 growth.)
When the r-value increases the graph has a more exaggerated, positive J-shaped curve
that starts flat, and low then quickly grows to a higher value. (This is due to the birth rate
being higher than the death rate.)
When the r-value decreases the graph has a more exaggerated, negative J-shaped curve
that begins at a high point and quickly flattens out to a lower value. (This is due to the
death rate being higher than the birth rate.)
When the r-value has zero growth the graph is a flat line. (This is due to the birth rate
being equal to the death rate, which means the population count never changes.)
6. Can the population in the exponential graph continue to grow like that forever? Explain.
No, the exponential graph cannot continue to grow like this forever, because of the carrying
capacity. Moreover, the population with eventually stop growing, because the environment
has limited resources.
7. What value is introduced in the logistic model? What is the impact on the population number
based on your graph and data chart?
The value that is introduced in the logistic model is K, which stands for the carrying
capacity. This number causes the population to reach a maximum number and stop
growing, due to the theoretical limited resources in the environment.
8. In your logistic model, you should have a population change over 20 years and then one over
100 years. There should also be a graph to represent each.
! Set the r value to .1 for both populations, then save the document.
! Upload the document into Google Drive.
! Finally, pull up the document on the ipad and take a screenshot of the page to be used
for your portfolio.

a. With a set rate of growth, how does the change in carrying capacity effect the shape of the
graph over time?
The change in carrying capacity can either allow the population to grow to a higher value
or cause it to stop growing at a lower value. Moreover, when the population reaches the
carrying capacity value it will stop growing.
9. Using graph and data from the logistic model, explain how the population and graph changes
when the r value changes (include increase, decrease, and 0) and the K value changes (large and
small).
When the r-value increases the graph has a more exaggerated, positive J-shaped curve
that starts flat, and low then quickly grows to a higher value. (This is due to the birth rate
being higher than the death rate.)
When the r-value decreases the graph has a more exaggerated, negative J-shaped curve
that begins at a high point and quickly flattens out to a lower value. (This is due to the
death rate being higher than the birth rate.)
When the r-value has zero growth the graph is a flat line. (This is due to the birth rate
being equal to the death rate, which means the population count never changes.)
When the K-value gets larger the population is allowed to expand to a larger number.
When the K-value becomes smaller the population is forced to be a smaller number.
10. In a paragraph, reflection on the assignment:
! What was the purpose of the activity?
! Explain what you learned about population growth models and how it relates to the
standards. Include what factors can influence population number and the definition of a
population.
! What material are you still struggling with or need to review more?
! What aspect of this topic would you like to study further and/or what did you enjoy the
most in this assignment?
The purpose of this activity was to get a better understanding of how exponential
and logistical models work. In addition, the activity also allowed us to see how the multiple
variables affect the both of the equations and the theoretical population. From this lab, I

learned how the different models work and how the variables affect the populations. (This
relates to the standard 4.A.5: c.1-4, by use using "mathematical models and graphical
representations".) In addition, I also learned that the logistic graph is the most accurate
graph, because at some point the environment will run out of resources. (This relates to the
standard 2.D.1:c, because the carrying capacity is related to the "water and nutrient
availability", etc.) Furthermore, there are several factors that affect the population
numbers. These variables include t (time), K (carrying capacity), and r (rate of population
increase). This lab has taught me so much and has truly help me understand how
manipulations can change the equation, although it would be helpful to review how to solve
the equations without the help of excel and a computer. In addition, I will further review
the r-selected and k-selected species, because that material is quite tricky. I would love to
further study the logistic model equation and see why in the real would the population
doesn't have a flat line (instead is goes up and down). Overall, my favorite part of the lab
was seeing the magic of excel and how the shortcuts can make the process of graphing the
populations so much easier.