Designing significant

factors for Success in

Trash can Experiment
Ismail Khan
Osama Bin Ejaz

Factors
Input
Variable
Time

Distance

Input
Low
variable level
A
30
seconds
interval
B
8 feet

Position of C
trash can
Way of
D
Throwing
Weight of E=ABCD
the ball

High
Level
50 seconds
interval
12 Feet

Narrow

Wide

Under
arm
Low
weight

Above Arm
High
Weight

Rules

1.The thrower is allowed to bow 10 degree

(Maximum), if he does not want to bow it
is up to him.
2. The experiment is performed on certain
day and certain temperature.
3.Thrower should not waste time when
time is started.
4.Once ball is hit into can and comes out
will be counted as a success.
5.Balls at each level will be five or more
because bringing balls back from trash
can, can waste time.

Narrow Positions of Trash Can

Wide position of trash

can

A thrown high weight ball with above arms to

the wide position of trash can

A missed under arm thrown low weight

ball to narrow position of trash can

Design Matrix
Basic

Run

Design
A
B

E=ABC Treatment
D
Combination

Proportion
Replicate
1
0.48

of Success
Replicate
2
0.45

abcd

0.70

0.80

1.00

0.90

cde

0.88

0.80

0.64

0.66

bde

0.60

0.64

bce

2
+
3

Response

+
-

+
+

5
+
6

+
-

0.90

0.95

abc

bcd

0.58

0.54

0.70

0.65

ade

0.45

0.50

ace

0.62

0.64

+
-

10

11

Main Effect
Main effect is the difference between the high level and low
level response variable. For example the main effect of time
interval (A) can be calculated as:

Effects and Significant Factors

Term

Effect

Coefficient
0.6575

SE coefficient
0.007043

T
93.35

P- Value
0.00*

-0.13000

-0.06500

0.007043

-9.23

0.00*

-0.00625

-0.00312

0.007043

-0.44

0.663

0.156250

0.07812

0.007043

11.09

0.00*

-0.04125

-0.02062

0.007043

-2.93

0.010*

0.061250

0.03062

0.007043

4.35

0.00*

A*B

0.116250

0.05812

0.007043

8.25

0.00*

A*C

-0.03625

-0.01813

0.007043

-2.57

0.020

A*D

-0.05875

0.02938

0.007043

4.17

0.001*

A*E

-0.02375

-0.01187

0.007043

-1.69

0.111

B*C

-0.02250

-0.01125

0.007043

-1.60

0.130

B*D

-0.00250

-0.00125

0.007043

-0.18

0.816

B*E

0.072500

0.03625

0.007043

5.15

0.00*

C*D

-0.06500

-0.03250

0.007043

-4.61

0.00*

C*E

0.040000

0.02000

0.007043

2.84

0.012

D*E

0.007500

0.00375

0.007043

0.53

0.602

Factors

Main Effect Plots

Symbol
Used

Time Interval

Distance

Position of Trash can

Way of Throwing

Weight of he Ball

Proportion of success varies inversely with level of time

interval, the reason is very simple, when you do any job for
a big peace of time then you get bored and consistency of
success is disturbed.
Portion of success does not seem to vary with distance
levels, may be the difference in distance level is not too
much.
Proportion of success seems to be very much dependent upon
the position of trash can. For narrow position of trash can,
proportion of success was low while for wide position of trash
can, the proportion of success was high.
Way of throwing ball has negative impact upon the
proportion of success, under arm position (Low Level) is
responsible for higher proportion of success while above arm
position (High Level) is responsible for low proportion of
success.
Weight of ball has positive impact upon the proportion of
success, low and high weight of the ball are responsible for
low and high proportion of success respectively.

Pareto Chart
The most significant factor is C
(Position of Trash can). This also
clear from Main Plot. Pareto
chart only identifies the
significant factors, but it does
not show that which factors
have negative or positive
impact upon the response
variable. In order fulfill such
need we use Normal Probability
Plot.

Normal Probability Plot

The factors at the right side of straight line in Normal Probability

plot have positive effect on the response Variable, while factors at
left side of straight line have negative effect on response. So we can
say that Main effects and Normal Probability Plot have relation.

Relation Between main Effects and Normal Probability Plot and Main
Effect Plot

Term

Effect

Coefficient
0.6575

SE coefficient
0.007043

T
93.35

P- Value
0.00*

A
B
C
D
E
A*B
A*C
A*D
A*E
B*C
B*D
B*E
C*D
C*E
D*E

-0.13000
-0.00625
0.156250
-0.04125
0.061250
0.116250
-0.03625
-0.05875
-0.02375
-0.02250
-0.00250
0.072500
-0.06500
0.040000
0.007500

-0.06500
-0.00312
0.07812
-0.02062
0.03062
0.05812
-0.01813
0.02938
-0.01187
-0.01125
-0.00125
0.03625
-0.03250
0.02000
0.00375

0.007043
0.007043
0.007043
0.007043
0.007043
0.007043
0.007043
0.007043
0.007043
0.007043
0.007043
0.007043
0.007043
0.007043
0.007043

-9.23
-0.44
11.09
-2.93
4.35
8.25
-2.57
4.17
-1.69
-1.60
-0.18
5.15
-4.61
2.84
0.53

0.00*
0.663
0.00*
0.010*
0.00*
0.00*
0.020
0.001*
0.111
0.130
0.816
0.00*
0.00*
0.012
0.602

Relation Between Pareto Chart and Main Effect Plot

Pareto Chart

Main Plot

How should be factors adjusted

for high proportion of success

THANKS
&
Any Question?

The factors should be adjusted as:

Low Interval of Time
Small or high distance (The difference should not be greater
than 5 units)
Wide Position of Trash can
Ball should be thrown under arm
High weight Ball
If factors are adjusted as listed above than proportion of success
in throwing ball into the trash can will be maximum.
This the beauty of Design of Experiment.