CollectingData:Homework

Date:________________________

1) Statewhatmethodyouwouldusetocollectdatatoanswerthefollowing questions. a) Hasthepercentageofstudentsthatdropoutbeforegrade12 increasedsince1975? b) Doesaprogramofregularphysicalexercisemakeworkersmore productive? c) Whowillbeelectedmayorinthenextelection? d) Doeseatinganappleeverydayreallykeepthedoctoraway? e) Howmanystudentsinyourschoolhaveparttimejobs? f) Doesmandatoryseatbeltlegislationreducethenumberoftraffic fatalities? g) Howmanydamagedeggscanbeexpectedinadaysproduction. 2) Lisaisconductingasurveyofstudentstofindouthowmuchstudents earnfromparttimejobs.Lisadoesntwanttosurveyeveryone,soshe decidestoaskasampleof50students.SuggestsomemethodsLisacould usetoselectanunbiasedsample. 3) Ascientistisstudyingtheeffectsofaspecialdietonstudentgrades.Why isacontrolgroupnecessary? 4) Tenyear,ago,cityCouncilincreasedthespeedlimitontheroadinfront ofCarolynshouse.Carolynwantstoknowiftrafficaccidentshavealso increased.Sheexaminestherecordsofaccidentsontheroadfor10years beforeand120yearsafterthespeedlimitwaschanged,andconcludes thataccidentshaveincreased20%duetothespeedlimitchange.Isthis necessarilyavalidconclusion?WhatotherfactorsshouldCarolyn consider?Whataresomeproblemsthatcanarisebydrawingconclusions frompastrecords? 5) Toryworksontheschoolpaperandwantstoknowhowmanystudents likethecafeteriafood.Toryselects2studentsatrandom.Onestudent enjoysthefoodandtheotherpreferstobringsandwichesmadeathome. Basedonthatsurvey,Torywritesanarticle50%ofStudentsdislike CafeteriaFood.CommentonTorysconclusion. 6) Abrandnametoothpasteadvertises2outof3DentistsRecommend DentPastetoTheirPatients.Whatotherinformationwouldyouliketo havebeforeacceptingtheclaim?

7) Lookthroughnewspapersandmagazinestofindtwoexamplesofeachof thethreetechniquesofcollectingdata. 8) Aninspectorofcomputersoftwareinspected80diskettesatrandomand foundthat3wereflawed.Findtherelativefrequencyofdamaged diskettes.If45000diskettewereproduced,howmanycanthe manufacturerexpecttobereturnedasdamaged?Howcouldtheinspector ensurethattheselectionofdisketteswasrandom? 9) Anunbiasedtelephonesurveyof800householdsshowedthat56used SudsySoapand47usedBubblesSoap.Estimatethenumberofboxesof SudsySoapandBubblesSoapinTorontospopulationof3.5million people? 10) Lastyearagamewardencapturedandtagged50deer.Thisyear,the wardencaptures140deeranddiscoversthat8aretagged.Calculatethe estimateddeerpopulationofthepark. 11) Bysurveyingyourclass,predictthenumberofCanadiansthatparttheir hairontherightsideoftheirhead.Whyisyoursurveybiased? 12) Aninspectoratagarmentindustrypassed57ofthe65shirtsthatwere inspectedforflaws.Howmanyshirtscanthecompanyexpecttobe flawlessinashipmentof1250shirts?