Math 1040 Skittles Term Project, Part 1

Introduction

Part 1 has been turned in to instructor Continue to Part 2 and 3

This project will allow you to pull together many of the concepts you are studying this
semester, including organizing and analyzing data, drawing conclusions using confidence
intervals and hypothesis tests, and presenting your work in a well organized paper. Your
overall report will be a narrative that clearly explains your process and your conclusions. Your
included mathematical calculations may be neatly handwritten and scanned, but overall
summaries and written conclusions must be word processed.

This is the signature assignment for this course. It is to be posted in your e-portfolio as a single
document.

Data Collection Done already in statcrunch survey, proceed to paragraph after the next red text

Each student in the class will purchase one 2.17-ounce bag of Original Skittles and record the
following data:

Number of Number of Number of Number of Number of

red candies orange yellow green candies purple
candies candies candies

Count only whole candies, disregarding any partial candies in the bag.

Record this information in the order and format provided (an excel or open office file
appreciated), so that you may quickly access it again.

You must e-mail (to my e-mail address, not through Canvas) this information to me
by June 5. (In statcrunch survey, credit awarded by the secret word quiz)

I will compile all the data from the whole class, along with the total number of candies in each
bag, the total number of bags, and the total number of candies. An Excel file containing this
information will be posted on canvas. This will be the data set that you will be using to
complete the rest of the term project.
Report Introduction

Your report must begin with an introduction explaining the process of the project. Do not
assume that your reader knows in advance what the assignment is about. Get started on your
introduction paragraph. Explain the overall procedures and goals of the assignment in your
own words. Note that you will be editing and adding to this introduction as you proceed
through all the parts of the project. Things to remember throughout project: The graphs should
tell a complete story by themselves with well labeled axes and titles. Dont reference
calculations that you dont mention in the written portion. And describe the data do not
assume I know what you want me to conclude from the data. Do not put features on the graph
that do not help the interpretation of the data and reach the conclusion that you want me to
reach.

Organizing and Displaying Categorical Data: Colors

First, you will determine the proportion of each color within the overall sample gathered by the
class. To do this, you will create a Pie Chart and a Pareto Chart for the numbers of candies of
each color. Note that as you work with this variable, the sample size is the total number of
candies (this will also be useful in part 2, confidence intervals). Your graphics must have
descriptive titles and be appropriately labeled. Throughout this project, represent proportions
as decimals rounded to three places. (Suggested software Excel or StatCrunch)

Write a paragraph discussing your observations of this data. Do the graphs reflect what you
expected to see? Does the overall data collected by the whole class agree with your own data
from a single bag of candies? Answer these questions with complete sentences and paragraph
form. In addition to the Pie and Pareto charts, include tables showing the results of your own
bag of candies and the results for the entire sample. (You should have a Pie and Pareto chart for
both the class and your individual data).

Organizing and Displaying Quantitative Data: the Number of Candies per Bag

Here we are interested in the mean number of candies per bag (this is a per bag measurement,
not a per color estimate). Note that for this variable the sample size is the total number of bags
(this will also be useful in part 2, hypothesis testing). Using the total number of candies in each
bag in the class sample, calculate the mean, standard deviation, and 5-number summary.
Round the mean and the values in the 5-number-summary to one decimal place. Round the
standard deviation to two decimal places. Create a frequency histogram and a boxplot for this
data. (Both histogram and boxplot done most easily in StatCrunch) Your graphics must have
descriptive titles and be appropriately labeled.

Write a paragraph discussing your observations of this data. What is the shape of the
distribution? Do the graphs reflect what you expected to see? Does the overall data collected
by the whole class agree with your own data from a single bag of candies? In addition to the
summary statistics and boxplot, include the number of candies from your own bag and the total
number of bags in the sample. (For example you may want to answer if your bag was typical?
And what did you do to decide this?)

Reflection

Explain the difference between categorical and quantitative data. What types of graphs make
sense and what types of graphs do not make sense for categorical data? For quantitative data?
Explain why. What types of calculations make sense and what types of calculations do not
make sense for categorical data? For quantitative data? Explain why.

Submit your work to this point (in class, on paper) to your instructor by July 11.

Math 1040 Skittles Term Project, Part 2

Confidence Interval Estimates

Explain in general the purpose and meaning of a confidence interval.

-Its a range of values so defined that there is a specified probability that the value of a
parameter lies within it.

Construct a 99% confidence interval estimate for the true proportion of yellow candies.

Yellow= 189 (10.09, 15.11)

X bar= 12.6

Sx= 3.2689

N= 15
Construct a 95% confidence interval estimate for the true mean number of candies per bag.

X bar= 58.6 (56.39, 60.81)

Sx= 3.99643

N= 15

Discuss and interpret the results of each of your two interval estimates. Include neatly written
and scanned copies of your work.

If we are looking at the true proportion of yellow candies that has a 99% confidence interval
that means only .1% is not included in the parameter. So the proportion of yellow candies is
mostly true. The mean number of candies per bag only having 95% confidence means that 5% is
not included.

Hypothesis Tests

Explain in general the purpose and meaning of a hypothesis test.

-is an inferential procedure that uses sample data to evaluate the credibility of a hypothesis
about a population. 1st state the hypothesis 2nd define the decision 3rd gather the data 4th Make
the decision.

Use a 0.05 significance level to test the claim that 20% of all Skittles candies are red.

P= 20.82% (its more than 20%)

Ho= p=.20

H1= p>.20

N=879

q=1-p=.8

alpha= 0.05

This was not sufficient evidence to support the claim that > than 20% red Skittles.

P test: 0.47176- because the p-value > alpha. We fail to reject the Ho Hypothesis p(z>0.208)

(see worksheet)
Use a 0.01 significance level to test the claim that the mean number of candies in a bag of
Skittles is 55.

Ho= mean= 55

H1: mean>55

(see worksheet)

We are assuming the population is normally distributed.

X bar= 58.6

Mean: 55

S.D.= 3.86

n=15

alpha= 0.01

C.V. t= 2.624

2.624 < 3.415.

We reject the Ho- there is sufficient evidence to support the claim that mean is > 55.

Discuss and interpret the results of each of your two hypothesis tests. Include neatly written
and scanned copies of your work.

Reflection

Discuss the conditions for doing interval estimates and hypothesis tests and discuss whether or
not your samples met these conditions. What possible errors could have been made by using
this data? How could the sampling method be improved? State what conclusions you have
drawn from your statistical research.

Using the hypothesis test we observed that 183 red candies in 879 count. The Skittles candies
p^= 0.208. We use the Hypothesis test to test the claim that the proportion of red candies is
greater than 20%. The significance level of .05 showed that there was no evidence to support the
claim that red candies were greater than 20%. By only looking at the red candies count we could
agree with our Hypothesis and know we could support the claim. But if we look at all the bag
counts we dont have enough evidence.
Submit your work on part 2 to your instructor by Aug 1.

Math 1040 Skittles Term Project, Part 3

Reflective Writing and e-Portfolio:

See attached paper on e-Portfolio

You may use one or more of the following ideas to build your reflection paper. Your paper
must be at least one page (double spaced) and use correct spelling and grammar. See specific e-
portfolio instructions in your syllabus.

What have you learned as a result of this project?

Discuss how the math skills that you applied in this project will impact other classes you
will take in your school career.

Identify specific parts of the project and your own process in completing the project that
may have applications for other classes.

Discuss how the project helped to develop your problem solving skills.

Discuss how this project changed the way you think about real-world math applications.
If your thinking was not changed, then discuss how the project supported your views
about real-world math applications.

Your completed project will be posted on your e-Portfolio and linked through
Canvas by Aug 3.