C&I 241: Height and Shoe Size
Is there a relationship between the height and shoe size of a
person? Can you use knowledge of one to predict the other?
Instructions:
Collect data from 30 persons on the table provided. You must
collect the height and shoe size of each subject. First, we must
decide how to make a conversion between men's and women's sizes so
that they are on the same scale.
Plot the data collected in your table on the graph provided. Use a
different color or different shape mark for men and for women.
Answer the following:
- Is there a general shape of the scatterplot of the data? If
so, sketch the shape roughly below.
- Find the mean height and the mean shoe size for
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all data?
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__________
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all women?
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all men?
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- Can you draw an oval around the bulk of the data on the
plot?
Try it in pencil. Compare efforts.
- Now try drawing a straight line through the middle of the oval
drawn in number 3. Is this line a fairly good representation of
the bulk of the data?
- Can you "guestimate" two points on the line and use them to
write an equation for the line in y = mx + b form?
- Did the line drawn in number 4 above happen to pass near or
through the mean points calculated in number 2?
- Can you predict, or provide a best guess for the shoe size of
someone who is 7 ft., 5 inches based on your data collection? Are
there any limitations on generalizing your data to other cases? If
so, what?
- Would your results and prediction lines have been different
for men than for women? Justify.
- Do you have any resources to verify your results?