Studying Bivariate Data 

Math 9E Formative Assessment 

Task: 
 
You may select from one of the following two data sets to complete this assignment. You will complete 
the sections of the graphic organizer (below) to ​analyze​ the data and show i​ nsightful interpretations 
of what the data means. 
 
Data Set #11 This data set studies the effects of urbanization of stream and watershed ecosystems. You 
will compare ​column 2 (% imperv. area) a ​ nd ​column 12 (Total BIBI score).​ This is a comparison of 
impervious area vs biotic integrity. In other words, this data considers impervious area as a measure of 
development (how urbanized an area is) and how that impacts the biodiversity of that same area. 
 
Data Set #22 This data set studies how the input of heat to a power plant will correlate to the amount of 
CO​2​ that the power plant produces. You will compare ​column 2 (Plant annual heat input) ​and c ​ olumn 
3 (Plant annual CO​2​ emissions).​ This is a comparison of how much heat (energy) is put into the power 
plant and the CO​2​ output, which can be used as a way to measure the “pollution efficiency” of a power 
plant. 
 

Criterion C: communicating 
Level 1-2  Level 3-4  Level 5-6  Level 7-8 

i. Use​ limited  i. Use​ some  i. Usually ​use  i. Consistently ​use 

mathematical  appropriate  appropriate  appropriate 
language.  mathematical  mathematical  mathematical 
ii. Use​ limited forms  language.  language.  language. 
of mathematical  ii. Use​ appropriate  ii. Usually ​use  ii. Use​ appropriate 
representation to  forms of  appropriate forms  forms of 
present  mathematical  of mathematical  mathematical 
information.  representation to  representation to  representation to 
iii. Communicate  present  present information  consistently present 
through lines of  information  correctly.  information 
reasoning that are  adequately.  iii. Usually move  correctly. 
difficult to  iii. Communicate  between different  iii. Move effectively 
understand.  through lines of  forms of  between different 
reasoning that are  mathematical  forms of 
complete.  representation.  mathematical 
iv. Adequately  iv. Communicate  representation. 
organize  through lines of  iv. Communicate 
information using  reasoning that are  through lines of 
a logical structure.   complete and  reasoning that are 
coherent.   complete, coherent 
v. Present​ work that  and concise. 
is usually organized  v. Present​ work that 
using a logical  is consistently 
structure.  organized using a 
logical structure. 

1
​Kleindl, William J. 1995. A Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity for Puget Sound Lowland Streams, Washington, USA.
Thesis submitted for a Master of Science degree at the University of Washington in Seattle. Retrieved from:
http://resources.seattlecentral.edu/qelp/sets/077/077.html.
2
​US Environmental Protection Agency. (1997). Emissions and Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID).
Retrieved from: http://resources.seattlecentral.edu/qelp/sets/014/014.html.
Criterion D: applying maths in real world contexts 
Level 1-2  Level 3-4  Level 5-6  Level 7-8 

i. Identify​ some of  i. Identify​ the  i. Identify​ the  i. Identify​ the 

the elements of the  relevant elements  relevant elements  relevant elements 
authentic real-life  of the authentic  of the authentic  of the authentic 
situation.  real-life situation.  real-life situation.  real-life situation. 
ii. Apply  ii. Select,​ with some  ii. Select​ adequate  ii. Select​ adequate 
mathematical  success, adequate  mathematical  mathematical 
strategies to find a  mathematical  strategies to model  strategies to model 
solution to the  strategies to  the authentic  the authentic 
authentic real-life  model the  real-life situation.  real-life situation. 
situation, with  authentic real-life  iii. Apply​ the selected  iii. Apply​ the selected 
limited success.  situation.  mathematical  mathematical 
  iii. Apply  strategies to reach  strategies to reach 
mathematical  a valid solution to  a correct solution to 
strategies to reach  the authentic  the authentic 
a solution to the  real-life situation.  real-life situation.  
authentic real-life  iv. Explain​ the degree  iv. Justify​ the degree 
situation.  of accuracy of the  of accuracy of the 
iv. Discuss ​whether  solution.  solution. 
the solution makes  v. Explain​ whether the  v. Justify​ whether the 
sense in the  solution makes  solution makes 
context of the  sense in the context  sense in the context 
authentic real-life  of the authentic  of the authentic 
situation.  real-life situation.  real-life situation. 

Your Work Begins Here 

 
I choose Data Set # 2   
 
Identify​ the two variables that are being compared in this data. Which is the independent variable 
and which is the dependent variable? (Minimum 2 sentences) 

There are 2 variables that are being compared in this data. The first variable is plant annual heat 
input (MMBTU) which is how much energy has been put into the power plant. The second variable is 
Plant annual CO2 emissions (tons) which means how much amount of co2 is been reproduce from 
the power plant.  
I think my X variable will be plant annual heat input (MMBTU), and my Y variable will be Plant annual 
CO2 emissions (tons). Because I think how much amount of CO​2​ is been reproduce from the power 
plant is dependent on how much energy has been put into the power plant.   

Select​ a Global Context and e

​ xplain​ how this data relates to that Global Context. (minimum 4 
sentences) 
The global context that I select is scientific and technological innovation.  
 
Why: 
As we know, this data is about power plant which is a very important data set for scientist , designers 
and even a normal person like us. Because we all want our world to be less pollute. However we all 
need electricity to live. In this point if designer and scientist can use their innovation skill to improve 
the technique of the energy plant. Then we can have a energy plant with stronger electricity and less 
pollution at same time based on the data.   

Predict​ what kind of correlation you will find when you graph this data and ​explain​ why you think it 
will be that type of correlation. (Minimum 2 sentences) 

 
Prediction:  
If more heat (energy) is put into the power plant, then more CO​2 is
​ going to be produce by the 
power plant. 
Association: 
Positive (strong)linear association  

Now use Google Sheets to ​create​ a scatterplot of your data. ​Insert​ your graph with a trendline here. 

​ ​2 ​value​? What does your R​2​ value tell you about your 
What is the ​equation​ of the trendline and the R
equation? (Minimum 2 sentences) 

Equation 
The equation for this graph is Y( annual CO2 emissions (tons)) = 0.0584x(plant annual heat input 
(MMBTU),)+50306 
R​2 ​value: 
The R​2 value
​
of this equation is 0.886.  
The R​ value tells me the association between x and y variable. The R​2 value
2 ​ ​
is close to 1 then the 
2 ​
association between x and y variable are strong, when R​ value is equal to 1 then the association 
 between x and y variable are perfect. In this particular example the association between annual 
CO2 emissions (tons) and plant annual heat input are strong. 

Based on your trendline, What ​predictions​ or inferences can you make about your data? Provide an 
expected value AND ​justify​ your prediction. (Minimum 4 sentences) 
● You should have at least one piece of information that would be considered interpolating. 
● You should have at least one prediction that requires you to extrapolate your data. 

Predication: 
1. If more heat (energy) is put into the power plant, then more CO​2 is ​ going to be produce by 
the power plant. 
2. If a energy plant produce 500 MMBTU heat then it will produce 50335.2 tons of co2 
Justify the graph: 
1. From the graph we know that most of the energy plant only produce 27088 tons to 973311 
tons of Co2, I think this is because the population of many regions have similar amount of 
peoples. 
2. If the energy plant produce 1 MMBTU of energy then 50306 tons of co2 will be produce. 
(y-intercept) 
3. There is one outlier in this graph ( 4 ​ 487554,234008880) 
 

Why might someone choose to study this data?​ In other words, what makes this interesting data 
to study? What information or deeper understanding does it provide? (Minimum 4 sentences) 

As we know, this data is about power plant which is a very important data set for scientist , designers 
and even a normal person like us. Because we all want our world to be less pollute. However we all 
need electricity to live. In this point if designer and scientist can use their innovation skill to improve 
the technique of the energy plant. Then we can have a energy plant with stronger electricity and less 
pollution at same time based on the data.   

What could you ​recommend as a follow-up study​? I.e.: How could your conclusions be used to help 
people make decisions or to create a new study? (Minimum 3 sentences) 

I think we should see the collection between population and how much energy does the energy plant 
produce to find out why there are many clusters in this graph, also we should do more research 
about the outlier to see if the outlier really should be included in this graph or not.