Stats 1510 Research Project!

Stats 1510 Research Project: On the Relationship Between the Diameter and Circumference of Circular Objects Ashlan Napier Taft College

Stats 1510 Research Project!

Abstract The formula c=d describes the relationship between a circular objects circumference and its diameter, however, this paper seeks to prove that there is a constant relationship between the circumference and diameter of round objects without the use of said formula. It relies instead on measurements collected by college statistics students and the analysis of the data collected to prove a direct correlation between the circumference and diameter.

Stats 1510 Research Project!

On the Relationship Between the Diameter and Circumference of Circular Objects ! The circumference, the enclosing boundary of a curved geometric gure, has

often been dened as the diameter of a curved gure multiplied by pi, a number approximating to about 3.14. Many students have accepted this formula as law without bothering to check the facts themselves, however, in the following experiment, I will seek to prove that the circumference can accurately be calculated by multiplying the diameter by pi. Method Participants ! The following technique was used by an online college statistics class to

measure the circumference and diameter of 392 objects. Once the data was collected by the students, it was submitted to the moodle website where the professor compiled the information onto a spreadsheet. Measures ! In this experiment, objects were measured using a piece of string and a number

of rulers. The string was placed along the center of the face of the circular object like so:

Stats 1510 Research Project!

(Please note that tape was not used in the measurement process, but for photographing purposes only.) The string was then marked with a pencil where it met the edges of the face of the circular object. The space between these marks was measured with a ruler to record the diameter of the object as pictured below.

Stats 1510 Research Project!

The same general process was used to measure the circumference of the circular object. The only difference being that the string was wrapped around the body of the object like so:

Stats 1510 Research Project!

Again, the tape was only used for photographing purposes. After the string was marked on the places it overlapped, the space between the two marks was measured as before. Participants This technique was used by an online college statistics class to measure the circumference and diameter of 392 objects. Once the data was collected by the students, it was submitted to the moodle website where the professor compiled the information onto a spreadsheet. Procedure: The data associated with 25 objects was randomly selected using a TI84 calculators randInt application (randInt>0,392, 25), and recorded

Stats 1510 Research Project!

in the following table. Also recorded was the Pi (circumference/diameter) of each object. Results Table 1 Experimental Data Item # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Object Cup Mason Jar Lid Green Ball Quarter Clock Face Baseball Campbells Soup Vase Blue Bowl CD Toilet Paper Roll Yo-Yo Drum Tuna Can Trash Can Poker Chip AA Battery Corn Tortilla Ping Pong Ball Canned Peas Circumference 262 8.75 6.2 3.375 73 30 8.5 19.25 11.5 18 27.946 8 37.75 10.625 27.5 122.5 43.8 45.7 5 9.25 Diameter 82.5 2.5 1.6 0.938 23.1 6 2.625 6 5.75 4.75 2.55 2.8 12.125 3.375 8.75 39 14 14 2 3 Pi 3.1758 3.5 3.875 3.5981 3.1602 5 3.2381 3.2083 2 3.7895 10.959 2.8571 3.1134 3.1481 3.1429 3.141 3.1286 3.2643 2.5 3.0833

Stats 1510 Research Project!

Item # 21 22 23 24 25

Object PX Bottle Wall Clock Ranch Beans Mirror Stove Knob

Circumference 4.25 31.5 283 44.4 2.5

Diameter 1.25 9 88.9 36.25 1

Pi 3.4 3.5 3.1834 1.2248 2.5

This data can be assumed to be representative of the population (the other objects measured by the students), because it was obtained through the randomizing features of the TI-84 calculator, which possesses no capacity for bias or human error. Using 1VarStats on the columns consisting of the measurements for Circumference, Diameter, and Pi, the following data was calculated.

Table 2 Statistics Related to the Circumference, Diameter, and Pi Calculation. Mean Circumference Diameter Pi 47.18 14.95 3.468 Median 19.25 5.75 3.1758 SD 73 24 1.7 Q1 8.25 2.525 3.0984 Q3 44.1 14 3.5 Min. 2.5 0.938 1.2248 Max. 283 88.9 10.9592

Although the statistics pertaining to both the circumference and the diameter of the data uctuates drastically, those related to Pi (circumference/diameter) stay relatively constant. The standard deviation from the mean is also quite small, suggesting that the relationship between the circumference and the diameter of each object holds fairly constant as well.

Stats 1510 Research Project!

In order to test the hypothesis that there is a constant relationship between the

circumference and diameter of round objects, a linear regression was performed on the circumference and diameter data located in Table 1. The steps and procedures used are as follows: 1. A scatter plot was constructed with the circumference listed on the x-axis and the diameter listed on the y-axis. (See Scatter Plot 1 in the Index for graph.) With the exception of one outlier, the data appeared to exhibit a strong, positive linear trend. 2. The two assumptions needed to calculate Pearsons correlation were then addressed: a. Both variables were randomly selected from the populations they represented through the use of the RandInt function on the calculator. b. Together the variables came from a bivariate normal population. This assumption was met by the linear trend exhibited by the scatter plot. 3. Using a calculator, the sample correlation was calculated and found to be 0.9793, 23.203 reenforcing a strong, positive linear trend. 4. A complete hypothesis test was then constructed and yielded a p value of approximately zero, leading to the conclusion that the null hypothesis could be rejected, that is Ho: =0 Discussion ! Upon examination of these statistics, it is reasonable to conclude that there is a

denite relationship between the circumference of a curved geometrical gure and its diameter. According to common knowledge, this relationship can be found in the form of pi, a number approximating to about 3.14, however, the data shown in Table 2. has a

Stats 1510 Research Project!

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slightly higher median value of 3.18, which could easily be the result of human error in the measurement process. For example, the students might have improperly recorded the results of either their circumference or diameter measurement, or even measured incorrectly. It is also important to address the outlier mentioned in the previous section. This value came from a student who measured a toilet paper roll with a circumference of 27.946 and a diameter of 2.55, resulting in a pi value of 10.959. These values could have been the result of human error as well, but were still included in all of the calculations listed in the Results section of this paper, resulting in slightly skewed data. Index Table 4. Sample Data Item # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Object Cup Mason Jar Lid Green Ball Quarter Clock Face Baseball Campbells Soup Vase Blue Bowl CD Toilet Paper Roll Yo-Yo Circumference 262 8.75 6.2 3.375 73 30 8.5 19.25 11.5 18 27.946 8 Diameter 82.5 2.5 1.6 0.938 23.1 6 2.625 6 5.75 4.75 2.55 2.8 Pi 3.1758 3.5 3.875 3.5981 3.1602 5 3.2381 3.2083 2 3.7895 10.959 2.8571

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Item # 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Object Drum Tuna Can Trash Can Poker Chip AA Battery Corn Tortilla Ping Pong Ball Canned Peas PX Bottle Wall Clock Ranch Beans Mirror Stove Knob

Circumference 37.75 10.625 27.5 122.5 43.8 45.7 5 9.25 4.25 31.5 283 44.4 2.5

Diameter 12.125 3.375 8.75 39 14 14 2 3 1.25 9 88.9 36.25 1

Pi 3.1134 3.1481 3.1429 3.141 3.1286 3.2643 2.5 3.0833 3.4 3.5 3.1834 1.2248 2.5

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Table 3. Hypothesis Test 1. 2. Ho: =0 Ha: 0 3. t-distribution 4. The data is normal See Scatter Plot 1. 5. p=0 6. reject the null hypothesis. 7. There is enough evidence to suggest that there is a correlation between the circumference and the diameter of a circular object.

Scatter Plot 1. Circumference vs. Diameter.

Circumference vs. Diameter 90

67.5

45

22.5

75

150

225

300

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