A small number isn't zero
- The idea
- Predict
- See it
- Why
- Check
The idea
“If a reading drops to a tiny number, the process has stopped.”
Set next to a big number, a small one looks like nothing. Many processes in biology slow down hard without switching off.
The short version
The mistake: If a reading drops to a tiny number, the process has stopped.
What's actually true: A reading clearly above the no-activity control means the process still runs. Size it against that control and the full level.
- Find the floor first. A control where the process can't run, like boiled enzyme, shows what the test reads when nothing happens.
- A reading clearly above the floor means the process ran. Cold doesn't denature amylase. It slows it, because molecules move slower and collide less often.
- Then size the effect against the full level. 1.6 is about a ninth of 14.5, a large but partial drop.
On the exam: Before you say stopped or no effect, compare the number with the no-activity control.