MAT 114 Assignment 4

The assignment should be turned in as a single document with figures cut and pasted into a Word document.

You are awarded one extra credit point if the Assignment is turned in on time.
Assignments will be accepted up to one day late (without the extra point).
Assignments will not be accepted more than one day late.

1. Unemployment Histogram [12 points]

Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state for April 2019.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

AL 12.9 IN 16.9 NE 8.3 RI 17

AK 12.9 IA 10.2 NV 28.2 SC 12.1
AZ 12.6 KS 11.2 NH 16.3 SD 10.2
AR 10.2 KY 15.4 NJ 15.3 TN 14.7
CA 15.5 LA 14.5 NM 11.3 TX 12.8
CO 11.3 ME 10.6 NY 14.5 UT 9.7
CT 7.9 MD 9.9 NC 12.2 VT 15.6
DE 14.3 MA 15.1 ND 8.5 VA 10.6
FL 12.9 MI 22.7 OH 16.8 WA 15.4
GA 11.9 MN 8.1 OK 13.7 WV 15.2
HI 22.3 MS 15.4 OR 14.2 WI 14.1
ID 11.5 MO 9.7 PA 15.1 WY 9.2
IL 16.4 MT 11.3

a) Use Excel to draw a histogram to represent this data. (A data file is attached- first sheet.)

b) Find the 5-number summary for the data.

c) Find the mean and standard deviation of the data.

d) The interquartile range is the name given to the distance between the upper and lower quartiles.
What is its value in this problem?

e) In the course materials we used the word ‘outlier’ in an informal way but sometimes this is defined as follows:

Find the values given by the upper quartile plus the interquartile range, and the lower quartile
minus the interquartile range. (What are these values in this problem?). An outlier is a data point
that does not lie between these two values.

Are there any outliers in this problem?

2. Flagstaff Precipitation [6 points]
We hear a lot on the news about climate change. Is there evidence to support this in the Flagstaff area?

a) Use Excel to draw a line graph showing Flagstaff’s precipitation over the period 1899-2019 given the data
below. (A data file is attached – second sheet.)

b) Use the line graph to give an interpretation of the data regarding climate change. Is there any change in the
data in recent times to indicate this? Write a short paragraph to discuss this.

Flagstaff Precipitation Data 1899-2019

1899 19.32
1900 16.57 1930 21.55 1960 16.60 1990 25.67
1901 21.48 1931 20.34 1961 18.95 1991 21.83
1902 25.86 1932 21.97 1962 18.11 1992 34.71
1903 25.05 1933 15.60 1963 14.52 1993 35.60
1904 20.07 1934 14.80 1964 19.04 1994 21.95
1905 34.53 1935 16.72 1965 36.59 1995 19.09
1906 22.70 1936 19.30 1966 20.58 1996 11.81
1907 25.02 1937 19.41 1967 22.27 1997 15.61
1908 25.91 1938 20.58 1968 16.53 1998 27.36
1909 22.75 1939 12.91 1969 23.41 1999 15.79
1910 18.25 1940 21.22 1970 24.02 2000 15.40
1911 26.00 1941 25.02 1971 21.01 2001 17.59
1912 17.69 1942 9.90 1972 24.67 2002 12.89
1913 15.70 1943 17.78 1973 19.71 2003 17.91
1914 17.40 1944 17.50 1974 17.41 2004 23.61
1915 25.54 1945 17.61 1975 20.10 2005 24.01
1916 23.38 1946 21.74 1976 20.12 2006 15.59
1917 18.82 1947 13.13 1977 18.77 2007 17.46
1918 21.29 1948 15.35 1978 30.72 2008 18.79
1919 28.28 1949 26.49 1979 19.68 2009 11.65
1920 19.33 1950 10.76 1980 29.30 2010 27.90
1921 22.43 1951 25.79 1981 23.37 2011 20.67
1922 25.07 1952 20.06 1982 31.09 2012 14.89
1923 21.07 1953 12.81 1983 29.47 2013 24.79
1924 16.74 1954 19.55 1984 20.09 2014 20.67
1925 19.08 1955 17.97 1985 26.67 2015 27.25
1926 16.58 1956 10.37 1986 32.39 2016 25.80
1927 23.83 1957 24.59 1987 23.98 2017 18.01
1928 14.88 1958 21.24 1988 21.68 2018 21.60
1929 15.52 1959 21.46 1989 14.44 2019 26.10
3. Clock Graphs [2 points]

The following chart takes the form of what is sometimes known as a Clock Graph. This is not a very common choice
and is one you may not have seen before. Think about an author’s choice of presenting data in this way, and then
answer the question given below the chart.

Note that although the above example uses a day for its time period, other choices are possible.

Which of the following settings would be appropriate for a clock graph?

• The US population at each census 1900-2010

• Average monthly precipitation for a given city
• Number of patients at a doctor’s office
• Average number of visitors at Disneyland
• Number of people lining up outside a store at hourly increments on Black Friday

Explain why you have chosen/disregarded these settings. For this you will need to indicate your interpretation of
each setting and should state the time period used.
 Point Break Down and Grading Rubric for the Assignment

Problem 1a. Well-labeled histogram with enough but not too many bars

3-4 points 1-2 points 0 points

The histogram is Chart drawn is a histogram, but Chart drawn is not a histogram.
professionally drawn. it is lacking in some of the
necessary features for a
statistical chart, has too few or
too many bars, or the bars in the
chart are not touching.

Problem 1b. The five numbers for the summary computed correctly. [4 points]
Problem 1c. Mean and standard deviation computed correctly. [2 points]
Problem 1d. Interquartile range computed correctly. [1 point]
Problem 1e. Outliers identified correctly. [1 point]

Problem 2a. Professionally drawn line graph. [4 points]

3-4 points 1-2 points 0 points

The line graph is Chart drawn is a line graph but it is Chart drawn is not a line graph.
professionally drawn. lacking in some of the necessary
features for a statistical chart.

Problem 2b. Thoughtful and well-reasoned argument [2 points]

1-2 points 0 points

The answer indicates that the student took time The answer does not indicate that the student has
interpreting their chart and relating this to the read the question, or failed to correctly interpret
question prompt. Thoughts were expressed the graph they had drawn.
clearly.
.

Problem 3. Relevant choice of setting. [2 points]

1-2 point 0 points

This answer indicates that the student The answer does not indicate that the student
understood the salient features of the given correctly interpreted the important features of the
scenario. given chart.