PH 211: Data and Meaning

Purpose:

The purpose of this lab is to explore the characteristics of a set of data. The data we will use are student estimates of the lengths of the hallway(s) in Ochoco. At the same time we will be getting some practice in estimating. Your goal is to learn how to effectively communicate the statistically important features of your data set to a reader.

Procedure:

For this lab you will need paper and pencil to record raw data and little else. As always in lab you will need your minds (or at least some significant portion of them).

1) The class will be divided into two groups which will be taken out into the hallway to estimate it's length.

 

2) Each group will share its data internally and create a histogram.

 

3) We will then combine the data from the two groups and consider what the histogram of this data set tells us.

CONCEPTS:

• Mean, median, min and max for a set of data
• effect of scale or range choices on the apparent meaning of histograms
• conceptual understanding of standard deviation and its estimation
• how the standard deviation informs the analysis of different sets of data

 

LAB DELIVERABLES:

I) A "good" histogram indicate the mean, median, min, and max values of your data set for each hallway. This means you will have 8 important values in the data that need to be effectively communicated on your single "good" histogram.

II) On the same "good" histogram indicate the 1sigma points of your data set for each hallway. On a separate sheet of paper describe clearly and completely how you arrived at this determination using the techniques presented in this lab. Compare this approximate determination of s with the formally calculated value for one data set.

III) Get a "good" histogram from a member of the other research group. Discuss how you can determine from their data and their statistics (like sigma) which hallway was measured with the more precise technique. Appropriate arguments depend on good understanding of the standard deviation (as we determined it) and the meaning of the variability of the data.

IV) Complete the analysis activity handed to you on your way out of the lab. Turn this in with your other lab deliverables.

Data and Meaning Rubric: