In an experiment, the strength of a neural stimulus and the resulting muscle contraction are compared. A single motor neuron that synapses with one muscle fiber is observed in this experiment. One end of the muscle fiber is attached to a mass. The following data was obtained from the experiment.
Number of Trials Strength of Stimulus (mV) Mass Lifted by Muscle Contraction (g) 1 20 0
2 40 0
3 60 50
4 80 Not Tested
5 100 Not Tested
6 120 50
a)Does the data provide enough evidence of the value for the threshold potential? Why or why not? -Would the value be 50? because the stimulus has to be more positive than the threshold potential? or would it not available because they tested the mass that is lifted?)
b)A student said that at 180 mV of stimulus, it'll be expected that 100 g mass is lifted by the muscle fiber. Yes or no?-Would it be false, because without the data for trials 4 and 5, it would be hard to determine?)
c)How can you modify the experiment so that the mass lifted by the muscle contraction can increase each trial?-this I dont know how to answer it, I dont know how the mass lifted by the muscle contraction would increase for each trial.
so for a would it be that the data doesn't provide enough evidence of the value for the threshold potential because data is missing for trials 4 and 5, so, it'll be hard to know whether or not that 50 g was also lifted in trials 4 and 5, though threshold potential doesn't change.
so for b, is it false, because for trials 3-6, the mass was 50, would the mass remain the same? I know that the stimulus has to be more positive than the threshold potential in order for the stimulus to fire a neuron.
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