Test 5C A P Statistics Name:

Directions: Work on these sheets. A random digit table is provided separately.

Part 1: Multiple Choice. Circle the letter corresponding to the best answer.

1. A nutritionist wants to study the effect of storage time (6, 12, and 18 months) on the amount of
vitamin C present in freeze dried fruit when stored for these lengths of time. Vitamin C is measured
in milligrams per 100 milligrams of fruit. Six fruit packs were randomly assigned to each of the
three storage times. The treatment, experimental unit, and response are respectively:
(a) A specific storage time, amount of vitamin C, a fruit pack
(b) A fruit pack, amount of vitamin C, a specific storage time
(c) Random assignment, a fruit pack, amount of vitamin C
(d) A specific storage time, a fruit pack, amount of vitamin C
(e) A specific storage time, the nutritionist, amount of vitamin C

2. We wish to investigate if a new medicine is effective in reducing the length and severity of the flu.
We take the next 20 patients that come to the walk-in clinic complaining of flu and, after a medical
exam to verify that the patients do have the flu, we give them the new medicine and tell them about
the new drug we are giving them. One week later, the patients are contacted and 15 patients state
the new remedy was helpful in reducing the severity and length of the illness. Which of the
following is not correct?
(a) This is a poor experiment because there is no control group. We do not know how many would
feel better in a week without treatment.
(b) This is a poor experiment because it is not double-blinded. The patients may feel relief because
they thought the drug should work.
(c) This is a poor experiment because a convenience sample was selected. Patients who come to
the walk-in clinic may have more severe flu than people who do not.
(d) This is a poor experiment because we didn't give the remedy to people without the flu to assess
its effect in a control group.
(e) This is a poor experiment because the sample size is likely to be too small to detect anything
but a gross improvement in measuring the proportion of people reporting an improvement.

3. An experiment to measure the effect of giving growth hormones to girls affected by Turner’s
Syndrome was carried out recently in Vancouver. All 34 girls in the study were given the growth
hormone and their heights were measured at the time the hormone was given and again one year
later. No measurements were made on their final adult heights. Which of the following is not a
problem with this experiment:
(a) There was no blinding
(b) There was no control group
(c) Nonresponse bias
(d) There was insufficient attention to the placebo effect
(e) Because final heights were not measured, it would be impossible to tell if the hormone affected
final height or only accelerated growth and made no difference to final height.

Chapter 5 1 Test 5C
4. A survey is to be undertaken of recent nursing graduates in order to compare the starting salaries of
women and men. For each graduate, three variables are to be recorded (among others) sex, starting
salary, and area of specialization.
(a) Sex and starting salary are explanatory variables; area of specialization is a response variable.
(b) Sex is an explanatory variable; starting salary and area of specialization are response variables.
(c) Sex is an explanatory variable; starting salary is a response variable; area of specialization is a
possible confounding variable.
(d) Sex is a response variable; starting salary is an explanatory variable; area of specialization is a
possible confounding variable.
(e) Sex and area of specialization are response variables; starting salary is an explanatory variable.

5. A researcher wishes to compare the effects of 2 fertilizers on the yield of a soybean crop. She has
20 plots of land available and she decides to use a paired experiment — using 10 pairs of plots.
Thus, she will:
(a) Use a table of random numbers to divide the 20 plots into 10 pairs and then, for each pair, flip a
coin to assign the fertilizers to the 2 plots.
(b) Subjectively divide the 20 plots into 10 pairs (making the plots within a block as similar as
possible) and then, for each pair, flip a coin to assign the fertilizers to the 2 plots.
(c) Use a table of random numbers to divide the 20 plots into 10 pairs and then use the table of
random numbers a second time to decide upon the fertilizer to be applied to each pair.
(d) Flip a coin to divide the 20 plots into 10 pairs and then, for each pair, use a table of random
numbers to assign the fertilizers to the 2 plots.
(e) Use a table of random numbers to assign the 2 fertilizers to the 20 plots and then use the table
of random numbers a second time to place the plots into 10 pairs.

6. We wish to draw a sample of size 5 without replacement from a population of 50 households.

7. A properly conducted random survey selected 1000 Canadians (from a total population of about 30
million) and 1000 Americans (from a total population of about 300 million). Which of the
following is false?
(a) Randomization ensures that both samples are representative of their respective populations.
(b) The precision is determined by the ratio of the sample size to the total population size.
(c) A smaller proportion of the American population has been chosen. Therefore, a particular
person has a smaller chance of being selected in America than in Canada.
(d) A potential stratification variable for both countries could be location — eastern, middle, or
western continental.
(e) Random digit dialing to select people for the survey could induce biases in the results if the
characteristic of interest for the survey is related to income.

Chapter 5 2 Test 5C
8. Consider an experiment to investigate the efficacy of different insecticides in controlling pests and
their effects on subsequent yield. What is the best reason for randomly assigning treatment levels
(spraying or not spraying) to the experimental units (farms)?
(a) Randomization makes the experiment easier to conduct since we can apply the insecticide in
any pattern rather than in a systematic fashion.
(b) Randomization will tend to average out all other uncontrolled factors such as soil fertility so
that they are not confounded with the treatment effects.
(c) Randomization makes the analysis easier since the data can be collected and entered into the
computer in any order.
(d) Randomization is required by statistical consultants before they will help you analyze the
experiment.
(e) Randomization implies that it is not necessary to be careful during the experiment, during data
collection, and during data analysis.

Part 2: Free Response

9. In a 1995 Corporation for Public Broadcasting poll of TV viewership, one question was, “A recent
study by a psychology professor at a leading university concluded that the amount of violence
children see on television has an effect on their likelihood of being aggressive and committing
crimes. From what you have seen or heard about this subject, do you agree strongly with that
conclusion, agree somewhat, or disagree strongly?” Is this question appropriate, or is it flawed in
some way? Comment briefly.

10. A large forest near an industrial area suffers from the effects of acid rain. It is estimated that 30%
of all trees in the forest display some signs of acid rain damage.

(a) Describe how you would use a random digit table to simulate a SRS of 10 trees from the forest.

(b) Use the random digit table starting at line 120 to simulate a SRS of 10 trees. What is the
proportion of trees in the sample that display some signs of acid rain damage?

Chapter 5 3 Test 5C
11. You have been asked to select 20 participants for a drug trial that compares two different
treatments for migraine headaches. The researchers have requested a block design (male/female)
with control groups for each block. You have been given a list of people willing to participate in
the trial, numbered from 1 to 87. The first 42 people are female; the rest are male.

(a) Sketch a diagram for the design of this experiment.

(b) In paragraph form, clearly explain how you will select your sample.

(c) Beginning with Line 123 of the Random Number Table, select the twenty participants.

12. The Student Council has been asked to determine the attitude of the students at your school toward
a new dress code policy. Joe, a member of the council who is taking AP Statistics, decides to send
a questionnaire to an SRS of 100 students. Eighty-seven students return the completed
questionnaire. Joe decides to randomly select 13 additional students to serve as replacement
subjects to complete the sample of 100. Is Joe’s sampling method appropriate? Briefly comment
on the merits of this method, or its pitfalls.

I pledge that I have neither given nor received aid on this test. ____________________________
Chapter 5 4 Test 5C