APPLICATION OF STATISTICAL CONCEPTS IN THE DETERMINATION OF WEIGHT VARIATION IN SAMPLES

F. M. C. DELA CRUZ AND S. M. R. OCHOA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITION, COLLEGE OF HOME ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES, DILIMAN, QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES
DATE SUBMITTED: APRIL 26, 2012

ABSTRACT This experiment dealt with finding the real weight of a one peso coin by gathering several replicate samples and then weighing them on an analytical balance by difference. Two different determinations was completed and presented for analysis of comparative data. After the application of statistical methods to the data, the results enable the experimenters to eliminate outlying values in order to attain accuracy of results. Moreover, the experiment was done to gain an understanding of the core concepts of statistical analysis. It was an attempt to evade some of the analytical difficulties by statistical means which is one of the fundamental key for reliability and consistency of quantitative analysis. Knowledge about the presence of the errors and ways of specifying certain conditions that could be the cause of the error are also essential to account for the discrepancies found in the experiment. The results indicated that the findings were precise, but slightly inaccurate, as what can be seen from the calculated values for the mean and standard deviation.
Meanwhile, some of the basic statistical concepts used in the experiment were the measures of central tendency such as the mean, measures of precision such as the standard deviation, relative standard deviation, range and relative range and, measures of accuracy like the Q-test and the confidence limits.[2] The mean which is the sum of the values divided by the number of items is a common tool for averaging values. It is a measure of the central tendency of the values observed. The formula for the mean is shown in (1). [4]

INTRODUCTION
Analytical chemistry is a branch of chemistry that has contributed to other fields of science that concerns with the quantitative and qualitative analysis of a material in a sample. [1] Since it deals with quantitative analysis, measurement is an important tool that this science uses to explain a gathered data. Thus, the knowledge about statistical concepts and methods are necessary to analyze and to infer the authenticity of the data throughout the experiment. [2] Likewise, when designing and evaluating an analytical method, experimenters usually make three separate considerations of experimental error. [7] It is rational to assume that the accurate value exists and this allows the scientists to estimate the limits between where the value lies. It is therefore a prerequisite for a scientist to be familiar with the fundamentals of statistical methods in order to achieve consistency in the presentation of analytical results and derivation of reliable estimates from the observational data. It would be hard to judge the significance of the results since the statistical method, like other mathematical procedures, cannot reveal anything that is not already implicit in the data.

(1)

On the other hand, to determine the variability and precision of the data, standard deviation can be used. Standard deviation is the positive square of the variance wherein, the smaller the resulting values, the closer they are to the mean. The formula for standard deviation is shown in (2) where Xi is a specific value, is the mean and n is the number of the tested values. [4]

(2)

Likewise, relative standard deviation also measures precision in a relative way rather than by absolute magnitude. It is expressed in parts per thousand. The

formula for relative standard deviation is shown in (3) where s is the standard deviation and is the mean. [5] Another one would be the pooled standard deviation, which is computed if indeterminate error exists between different samples of the same measurements. Standard deviation is pooled by the formula shown in (4) to achieve a more accurate analysis of the standard deviation.

students with the proper usage of the analytical balance and the process of weighing the coin by difference. By doing so, it somewhat introduced the basic concepts of statistical analysis which are applicable in analytical chemistry.

METHODOLOGY
Ten (10) one peso coins were prepared by washing them with soap and water, and then later on, drying them on a tissue paper with the use of forceps to ensure that the sample would not be contaminated with fingerprints; because, the moisture from the skin might affect the weights of the coins. Then, the weights of each of the coins were measured through weighing by difference using an analytical balance (figure 1). The said method (figure 2) was followed since the coins were samples of similar sizes. [1]

(4)

Another simple way to measure dispersion is by range. It is the difference of the highest and the lowest observed values (5). [2] (5) Also, range can be expressed through relative range. It is also a measure of precision expressed in parts per thousand. Its formula is shown in (6) where R is the range and is the mean. [2]

(6)

Consequently, Q-test is done to know if the data gathered in the experiment is acceptable or not. If the Q experiment is lower than the proper critical values for the rejection quotient, the data is said to be accepted or if it went beyond the critical values then, the data gathered is rejected. Its formula is shown in (7) where Xq is the questionable result, while Xn is the value nearest to the Xq. [2]
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Figure 1. Ohaus Analytical Balance

(7)

Lastly, the confidence limit (8) which also measures the accuracy of a value is the range where the mean is likely to be. It uses the value of the mean which is said to be the best available approximation of the true value and each standard variation of the measured values.

Figure 2. Weighing by difference using an analytical balance

(8)
Before, weighing the samples, the balance pan and the balance floor were cleaned using a camels hair brush (figure 3) so that, it would to be free from any

This experiment aimed to weigh ten (10) one peso coins using an analytical balance, an instrument for measuring masses to attain a highly accurate measurement. [3] Similarly, its purpose was to orient the

dust or foreign object that could also affect the measured weights of the coins.

reliability of the weight of the samples reported in terms of its accuracy and precision. Q-test is used when dealing with small number of observations to determine whether to reject or to retain a suspected data. In order for a value to be accepted, the value of its Qexp should be smaller than the Qtab. For this experiment, the highest and the lowest values for each data set were established to be the suspected value to be tested for acceptance. The data for the weights of the six samples from data set 1 and weights of the ten samples from data set 2 passed the Q-test at 95% confidence level, which means that the results were reliable and there were no outliers from the sets of data as shown in Table 1. [2] The students did two replicate determinations of the experiment in order to reveal the presence of random errors. These errors are common especially in doing finer measurements with variable magnitudes. However, measurement errors can be minimized and eliminated altogether by careful experimental design and control. Fortunately, gross errors were absent in the analysis which was manifested by the absence of outliers found in the data sets. Outliers are those findings that differ greatly from the other findings. Moving on, fundamental statistical concepts were applied to compare the results. The mean is the average value of the data. It is of statistical certainty that the mean is more correct than any single, randomly chosen data in a series of measurement. Hence, the mean was reported in the results of the measurement as shown in Table 2. However, the reliability of the mean depends on the number of measurements, which should also be reported. [4] One of the statistical methods used for calculating the precision of the values is the range (R). It was measured by the difference of the highest and the lowest value. Range gives the total variability of the data, but does not provide any information about the distribution of the individual data. As shown in Table 2, both data sets have a small value for range. Another much useful measure of precision, which utilizes all values, is the standard deviation (s). In general, the smaller the value of the range, the smaller the value of the standard deviation and hence, the better the precision is. [4] Given that the values of the range of the two data sets were small, it is evident that the two data sets were precise because of their small standard deviation value.

Figure 3. Cleaning the balance pan and the balance floor After that, the ten dried coins were carefully placed in a watch glass which was placed inside the analytical balance. The analytical balance was tared before each one peso coin was removed using forceps. The negative measurement was then recorded. Lastly, the process was continued until there were no coins left. Statistical parameters were determined using the measurements acquired.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The experiment allowed the students to obtain the following data: Table 1. Q-Test Data Suspected Set Values 1 H: 5.4833 L: 5.4232 2 H: 5.4992 L: 5.3697 Qtab
(95%)

Qexp 0.201 0.131 0.123 0.109

Conclusion Accepted Accepted Accepted Accepted Data Set 2 5.44036 0.041214 7.5757 0.1295 23.804
0.029455

0.625 0.625 0.466 0.466

Table 2. Reported Values Data Set 1 Mean 5.44978 s 0.024334 RSD 4.4651 R 0.0601 RR 11.028 CL
0.025531

spooled

0.0041617

After applying statistical calculations in the data obtained from the experiment, results show the

Since the experiment was composed of two subsets of data, the best way to estimate the standard deviation of the population is to pool or combine the subsets. This statistical method was used in the experiment since the samples have similar composition and have been weighed and analyzed in exactly the same way. The computed pooled standard deviation was 0.0041617. The spooled value was consistent with the standard deviation value of the two data sets. It was close to the value of the two standard deviation values. On the other hand, the confidence limits are the interval estimate of the mean. These intervals generate the upper and lower limits of the mean. It also indicates the value of uncertainty for the estimated value of the true mean. A narrow interval obtained, was an indication that the estimate for the true mean was more precise. As shown in Table 2, the true mean of the data set 1 lies within 5.4243 and 5.4753 with 95% chance and probability whereas, the confidence limits for data set 2 lies between 5.4109 and 5.4698. It was also implied with the confidence interval value that both data sets have great precision. Moreover, a 95% level of probability does not necessarily mean that there is a 95% probability that the interval contains the true mean. This is because the interval computed from a given sample either contains the true mean or not. It is merely the proportion of the samples of a given size that contain the true mean. Thus, a 95% confidence level indicates that 95% of the value within the interval would contain the true mean. The reported values of the results attained its accuracy with the help of statistics. Based on calculations, an outlying value will cause great changes in the accuracy and precision of the results. However, in the case that the outlying value was not eliminated, the results could have been less reliable.

is 0.024334 for data set 1 and 0.041214 for data set 2 it can be inferred that there is less variability in the weight, thus, having a high level of precision. This indicates that the values were very close to the mean. Meanwhile, a high confidence level was achieved from 5.44978 0.025531 (5.4243-5.4753) for data set 1 and 5.44036 0.029455 (5.4109 - 5. 4698) for data set 2. As shown on Table 2, data set 2 has a higher confidence level which suggest that the larger the sample to be compared, the more precise and more dependable the result would be. The applications and understanding of the different statistical concepts and the proper usage of analytical balance was also observed. Other computed values from the experiment were also shown in Table 2. More importantly, in order to attain a more accurate and precise computation, it is suggested to use a new set of coins whose weight are still near to each other. The mass of a one peso coin according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is about 6.1 grams. [6] It can be deduced that the mass of the coins were affected because the coins were old and were already handled by different people therefore, affecting its original mass. In addition to that, it is also recommended that the experiment should be done at a controlled environment to minimize the presence of external stimuli that might affect the readings. Overall, the objectives of the experiment were met and the reported values were properly computed. The experiment attained a high degree of success judging from the values obtained.

REFERENCES
[1] Whitten, K., R.E. Davis, M. L. Peck, G. G. Stanley. Chemistry. 8th ed. Thomas Higher Education. USA. 2007, p. 3 [2] Carillo, K.J.D., Ballesteros, J.I., et al. Analytical Chemistry Laboratory Manual. 2009 edition. UP Chemistry Alumni Foundation, 2009, 1-5, Appendix2E. [3] Skoog, D. A., West, D. M., et al., Introduction to Analytical Chemistry. 8th ed. Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd.2012, p.17, 36 [4]Almeda, J.V., Capistrano, T.G., Sarte, G.M.F. Elementary Statistics.The University of the Philippines Press. 2010, p.192, 232, 238-239

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

By using the analytical balance and method of weighing by difference the weights of ten (10) one peso coins were acquired. Likewise, to evaluate the data obtained throughout the experiment different statistical concepts were applied. Q-test, a method for handling data rejection was first applied to know whether the highest and lowest values would be accepted or rejected. After comparing the Q value of the highest and the lowest weight of each of the data sets, all Qexperiment values were found to be less than the Qtab, meaning all values were accepted. The mean for measuring the central tendency was calculated to be 5.4498 for Data set 1 and 5.4404 for Data set 2. Comparing the standard deviation which

[5] Hsu, D.D. Definition of Standard Deviation. 24 April 2012 <http://www.chemicool.com/definition/standard_dev iation.html> [6] Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Coin design and Production. 24, April, 2012. <http://www.bsp.gov.ph/bspnotes/banknotes_coin.a sp> [7] Harvey, David. Modern Analytical Chemistry. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2000. pp.53-54

APPENDIX
A. RAW DATA Sample No.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Weight, g 5.4712 5.4833 5.4311 5.4567 5.4332 5.4232 5.4522 5.3697 5.3838 5.4992

D A T A S E T 2

D A T A S E T 1

B. WORKING EQUATIONS

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C. SAMPLE CALCULATIONS 1.) Mean =

2.) Standard Deviation X 5.4232 5.4311 5.4332 5.4567 5.4712 5.4833

(X-

DATA SET 1

(X - )2 7.066736109 x 10-4 3.490669443 x 10-4 2.750069443 x 10-4 4.764027782 x 10-5 4.586736113 x 10-4 1.123366945 x 10-3

- 0.026583333 - 0.018683333 - 0.016583333 6.91666667 x 10-3 0.021416666 0.033516666 = 2.960628333 x 10-3

= 0.024333632 or 0.024334

3.) Relative Standard Deviation

=( ) = 4.465064116 or 4.4651 4.) Range R = 5.4833 5.4232 = 0.0601 5.) Relative Range

RR = (

= 11.02796136 or 11.028 6.) Confidence Limits (95% Confidence Level)

CL = 5.449783333 = 5.449783333 7.) Q-Test DATA SET 1 H value: 5.4833

Qtab = 95%, 0.625 7

L value: 5.4232 Qexp = QH=

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Qtab = 95%, 0.625

= 0.201331114 or 0.20133 QL= = 0.131447587 or 0.13145 8.)

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= 0.004161702671 or 0.0041617