Subject :

BUM 2413 APPLIED STATISTICS

SEMESTER II 2015/2016
ASSIGNMENT 1

FACULTY OF INDUSTRIAL SCIENCES & TECHNOLOGY

ASSIGNMENT DUE DATE :

18 MARCH 2016 (Friday)

TOTAL MARK: 40
(no later than 5.00 pm)

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Set up a group that consists of between three (3) and four (4) members from your section only and
name your group using any statistical term.
2. Use the template on page 3 as the cover for your assignment booklet. Fill in all the required
particulars clearly.
3. Attach all the relevant output as an appendix section.
4. For each group, please submit the following items
(i) One hardcopy version- Submit to your lecturer
(ii) One softcopy version- Upload via KALAM in one compressed file
(iii) All experiment evidences (straws and handwritten data record)
5. Answer ALL questions and use appropriate statistical notations.
6. Perform all analyses using Microsoft Excel.
ATTENTION!
The objectives of this assignment are to help you understand the statistical analysis process, usage of
software in analysing data and to develop your integrity in reporting your assignment.
Late submission of assignment will not be entertained.

(a)

Perform the following experiment:

STEP 1: Obtain 18 straws.
Cut 6 of them in half.
Cut 6 of them into quarters.
Leave the remaining as they are.
You should have 42 straws in different lengths. Measure and record all its length.
Place all the straws in a plastic bag, mix them well.
STEP 2:
Without looking into the plastic bag, select the first straw that you touched.
Measure its length and then do not replace it back.
Repeat the process until 20 straws have been selected.

(b)

Answer the following questions:

i.

Identify the population, variable and type of sampling technique used in the experiment.

ii.

Find the mean length of all 42 straws.

iii.

Find the mean length of the sample of 20 selected straws.

iv.

What can you conclude from this experiment by comparing sample mean and true mean?
Give your reason and deduction.

(c)

Repeat STEP 2 and select a sample of 40 straws.

i.

Find the mean length of the sample.

ii.

What can you conclude from this experiment by comparing sample mean and true mean?

iii.

Did different sample sizes provide different conclusions to this experiment? Give your
reason and deduction.

(d)

Remove all straws from the plastic bag. Group all the straws according to their lengths.
Group A
Group B
Group C

original length
half from original length
quarter from original length

i.

For each group, find the mean and standard deviation of the lengths.

ii.

What can you conclude from this experiment? Give your reason and deduction.

(e)

Obtain a straw from your lecturer. Remove a straw of any length from the plastic bag and
replace it with the new straw.
i. Find the mean length of the new set of straws.
ii. Did the new population of straws provide different conclusion as compared to the
original population? What can you conclude from this experiment? Give your reason and
deduction.

(f)

Draw boxplot for the following sets of data:

i.

Original population (part (a))

ii.

Sample of 20 straws (part (b))

iii.

New population (part (e))

Identify the shape of the distributions and comment on the averages and variability.

ASSIGNMENT 1
BUM2413 APPLIED STATISTICS
SEMESTER II 2015/2016
GROUP NAME: ___________________

NAME

STUDENT ID

LECTURER

Question Number

FOR EXAMINER USE ONLY

Marks

/4

/8

/6

/7

/5

/10

TOTAL MARKS

/40

SECTION