A dichotomous key is a tool used to identify organisms based on their physical characteristics. It consists of a series of paired statements, each of which describes two different characteristics of the organism. The user starts at the top of the key and follows the statements that best describe the organism’s characteristics. Each statement leads to another pair of statements, until the user reaches the name of the organism.
Dichotomous keys are commonly used in biology to identify plants and animals. However, they can also be used to identify other objects, such as shoes. Here is how to create a dichotomous key for shoes:
