BIRTHDAY LAB

PROBLEM:

How does sample size affect the accuracy of the graph produced from the data?

PROCEDURE:

  1. Go around the room and record data on your classmate’s name and birthday in data table 1
  2. From data table 1 construct data table 2 by totaling how many birthdays each month.
  3. Construct graph 1: #of births (Y) vs. Month (X) for Period (___) from data table 2 according to the graphing rules
    4.
  4. Copy data table 3: data of all Mesa Verde students
  5. Construct graph 2: #of births (y) vs. Month for all students (x) from data table 3 according to the graphing rules
  6. Make title page and answer the questions.

Data Table:

Data Table 2

  

Data Table 3
Months (x) # of Births (y)   Months (x) # of Births (y)

1

    

1

  

2

    

2

  

3

    

3

  

4

    

4

  

5

    

5

  

6

    

6

  

7

    

7

  

8

    

8

  

9

    

9

  

10

    

10

  

11

    

11

  

12

    

12

  

 

 

 

 

 

Questions:

1.  What similarities do you see between the 2 graphs?

 

 

 

2.  What are 6 things needed for a complete graph?

 

 

 

 

 

3.  In the all school graph, what is the pattern between #of births (y) and months (x).  In other words, what does the trend line do as you go from left to right along the X axis?

 

 

 

4.  Which of the 2 graphs is more accurate in describing the relationship between y and x, why is that true?