Human Population Growth Computer Lab
2006-07 edition
For this exercise you will use an EXCEL spreadsheet available on the server. To
access the spreadsheet, go to the APES website.
1. Make a graph of world population growth from 0-2000 using the data in the
POPULAT.WK1 excel file, following the directions below
a. Highlight the data A3:B23
b. From Menu click INSERT > CHART> XY SCATTER> NEXT
c. Data should already be arranged in columns so click NEXT
d. Label the axes, and click on Gridlines
e. under gridlines, label Value(X) axis, fill in the major and minor
gridlines, NEXT
e. choose as a new sheet FINISH
2. What best describes the shape of the growth curve?_________________
3. Try to fit a trendline to the data by
a. single click on the data points
b. from the Menu choose Chart> Add Trendline> Exponential
Describe the results and explain.
4. When did the rate of growth of the human population really move away
dramatically from a simple exponential growth curve and become more vertical
than horizontal? _________ What caused that change?
5. a. What was the population in 1300?__________ in 1400?____________
Explain the reason for the change.
6. Place a custom smoothed line on your graph
a. after double clicking to select the data series, go to FORMAT
>PATTERNS
b. select CUSTOM
c. select SMOOTHED LINE
7. Print your graph.
On your graph, find and mark the following.
1 billion
year________
2 billion
year________
3 billion
year________
4 billion
year________
6 billion
year________
8. What was the doubling time
from 1 to 2 billion? __________
from 2 to 4 billion? __________
from 3 to 6 billion? __________
9. Has a doubling of world population occurred in your parents’ lifetime?
_________
10. Look at the chart of Population Growth in Selected Countries found at
A:27. Fill out the chart in the following way
a. The Natural Increase is the % increase per year. To calculate it, subtract
the death rate from the birth rate and divide by 10.
b. To tell EXCEL to do the calculation for you, type =(B28-C28)/10 then
hit RETURN. The answer should be 1.7. (A common mistake is to omit the” =”
sign)
c. Now do the entire column by highlighting 1.7 and the next 6 cells
below . To fill down, either go to EDIT, then FILL, then DOWN, or hit ^ D
(otherwise known as control D). The entire column should fill with the
appropriate numbers. Please don’t be foolish enough to ignore the instructions
and try to type in each one separately. You will be sorry if you do!
d. Now calculate the doubling time by using the “Rule of 70”
Doubling Time = 70/ Natural Increase
e. To tell EXCEL to do the calculation for you, type =70/D28
f. Fill down the column using the same technique as in step c
11. a. What country has the greatest rate of population growth?_________ What
is the rate_______% per year
b. What country has reached zero population growth?_____________
c. What is the doubling time for the United States?_________years
d. The birth rates and death rates that are given are per 1000 people in one
year. The United States is actually growing faster than its natural increase. The
United States, with its open immigration policy, accepts 5 immigrants per
thousand each year. Add 5 to the birth rate to show the increase due to
immigration. What is the doubling time?___________years.
e. Check to see if the “Rule of 70” actually works. Look up the population
and % increase for 1952 in the World Population and Annual Addition, 19502004 chart.
population = ______________ annual increase = _____________
using the “Rule of 70” calculate the doubling time=_________
What year should the population be double?__________
What is the population that year?_______________ Explain the reason for any
difference.
12. Look at the data on the spreadsheet World Population Growth, 1950-2004 .
a. What year were you born?________
b. What was the population that year?________
c. What was the growth rate that year?_______
Use the rule of 70 to determine the doubling time at the time of your birth
d. doubling time = ___________ years.
e. What year will that be___________?
13. Make a graph of World Population Growth, 1950-2004 by highlighting A44:B
98 and following the same directions for making a graph in question 1. Add an
exponential trendline.
You want to project the trendline into the future
a. double click on the trendline, and under options tab, go to forecast
forward- type in 30
b. Does the trendline agree with your prediction in 12e?_________
Explain.
14. Print your graph.
15. Do you think that the projected trendline accurately describes the future
human population?______ Draw by hand a trendline from 2000 to the future on
your graph, and explain below why it differs from the trendline generated by the
computer.
16.a. Looking at the EXCEL worksheet of World Population growth, what is the
annual addition of people during 2004?__________million people.
b. In 1918 an influenza (often called the Spanish Influenza) killed 21,000,000
people. At the 2004 increase rate, how long would it take the world to recover
from such a devastating epidemic?
c. Although humans have never traveled farther than the moon, and we certainly
are unlikely to terriform the moon or Mars within the next 20 years, lets say that
our wildest dreams have come true, and we can send as many as 500,000 people
a year to a newly colonized planet (yeah, sure, that will happen). Using 2000
increase rate, how long would it take for the Earth’s human population to replace
those 500,000 colonists?
d. Assuming no increase in population growth rates, how many people would have to be
shipped out per year to this mythical colony to keep Earth’s population
steady?_________________