EEM424

Design of Experiments
Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD)

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 Dealing with known and
controllable nuisance factor
• In a completely randomised experiment, the variability
between different batches will contribute to the variability in
the response. As a result, the experimental error will reflect
both random error and batch error.
• When the nuisance factor is known and controllable,
blocking can be used to systematically eliminate its effect on
the statistical comparison among treatments
• The Randomised Complete Block Design is used to make
the experimental error as small as possible and remove the
variability between batches from the experimental error.
• Example the Artificial veins experiment – Ex4-1-page 144++

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Extension of the ANOVA to the RCBD
ANOVA partitioning of total variability:
a b a b

 ij ..   [( yi.  y.. )  ( y. j  y.. )

( y  y
i 1 j 1
) 2

i 1 j 1

( yij  yi.  y. j  y.. )]2

a b
 b ( yi.  y.. ) 2  a  ( y. j  y.. ) 2
i 1 j 1
a b
  ( yij  yi.  y. j  y.. ) 2
i 1 j 1

SST  SSTreatments  SS Blocks  SS E

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ANOVA Display for the RCBD

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Manual computing:

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Assignments - #1

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Assignments - #2

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 Assignment #3
• Run your paper aeroplane with 4 different
treatments and 4 different throwers as
‘blocks’.
• Test whether including ‘blocking’ in your
experimental design makes a difference to
your conclusion.
• Email the excel files by Friday 19th 5pm.

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