Statistics and probability: Data representation and interpretation

Chapter 12: Representing and interpreting data

Test A Name: ___________________________

FLUENCY
Mark

1 A sample of students from a school is to be selected at random to complete an 1

investigation. Which of the following is an example of choosing this sample randomly?

A Choosing students queuing at the tuckshop.

B Assigning numbers to a list of student names and using a random number table to
select random numbers.
C Calling for volunteers.
D Choosing the girls in an all-girls science class.

Answer: B

2 Sixteen students were surveyed to find the number of televisions in their home. The 1
following raw data was collected: 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 1, 2, 0, 2, 2, 2, 3, 1, 0, 3, 2

The score with the highest frequency is:

A 0
B 1
C 2
D 3
E 4

Answer: C

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 Chapter 12: Representing and interpreting data Test A

3 A frequency distribution table of the number of pets owned by students in Year 8 is 1

shown below.

Number of Frequency
pets
0 6
1 8
2 7
3 5

The number of students surveyed is:

A 12
B 14
C 20
D 26
E 28

Answer: D
4 In each of the following, state if the information was obtained by census or survey. 4
a A school council conducts an election for a new president. Every council member
casts a vote.
b 200 people entering a car park complete a questionnaire on the place they shop
most frequently.
c A match box producer tests every fiftieth match box to see if the correct number of
matches has been included.
d The manager of a book shop records the number of sales in one day.

Answers:
a Census
b Survey
c Survey
d Census

5 Score Frequency 3
12 7
13 9
14 3
15 11

Use the frequency distribution table to answer the following questions.

a How many were surveyed?
b Which score had the highest frequency?
c What was the frequency of the lowest score?

Answers:
a 30
b 15
c 7

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 Chapter 12: Representing and interpreting data Test A

6 A random sample of 30 students in Year 8 undertook a survey to investigate the height 6

of Year 8 students. The following are their measured heights (cm).
146, 163, 156, 168, 159, 170, 152, 174, 156, 163, 157, 161, 178, 151, 148,
167, 162, 157, 166, 154, 150, 166, 160, 155, 164, 157, 171, 168, 158, 162

a Organise the data into class intervals 145−<150 cm, etc., and draw up a frequency
distribution table.
b Draw a histogram displaying the data.

Answers:
Class interval Centre Frequency
a
145 -< 150 147.5 2
150 -< 155 152.5 4
155 -< 160 157.5 8
160 -< 165 162.5 7
165 -< 170 167.5 5
170 -< 175 172.5 3
175 -< 180 177.5 1
Total 30

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 Chapter 12: Representing and interpreting data Test A

7 Find the range of each set of scores. 3

a 2, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8

b 2.3, 1.2, 8.6, 9.9

c 1.5, 1, 2.25, 3.6, 1.2, 5.5

Answers:
a Range = 8  2= 6

b Range = 9.9  1.2= 8.7

c Range = 5.5  1= 4.5

8 The stem-and-leaf plot below shows the marks received by a class of students for their 1
test.

Key: 75 = 75
Stem Leaf
3 6
4 48
5 0279
6 34469
7 256779
8 455678
9 02579

The distribution represented by the stem and leaf plot is:

A positively skewed
B negatively skewed
C symmetrical
D normally distributed
E negatively symmetrically skewed
UNDERSTANDING
Answer: B

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 Chapter 12: Representing and interpreting data Test A

9 The mass (to the nearest kilogram) of each dog at a dog obedience school is shown on 4
the stem plot below.
a Describe the shape of the distribution of these data.
b Find the median of the data
Stem Leaf
c What is the mode?
0 4
Key: 0|4 = 4 kg 0* 5 7 9
1 1 2 4 4 4
1* 5 6 6 7 8 9
2 1 2 2 3
2* 6 7
Answers:
a Symmetric
b 16 kg
c 14

10 For this dot plot: 5

a calculate the mean score

b determine the median score
c give the modal score
d indicate which measure of centre best describes the distribution
e describe the skewness of the distribution.

Answers:
a 25.7
b 25
c 23
d Mean or median
e The distribution shows no pattern.

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 Chapter 12: Representing and interpreting data Test A

UNDERSTANDING
11 A random sample of 10 families was surveyed to find the number of bicycles in each 5
family. Here is the raw data that was collected: 5, 3, 4, 3, 2, 2, 3, 4, 2, 3.

a Organise the data in a frequency distribution table.

b How many families have 2 bikes?
c How many families have 4 or more bikes?
d Which score has the highest frequency?

Answers:

Score (bicycles) Frequency

a 2 3
3 4
4 2
5 1

b 3
c 3
d 3

12 The amount ($) given to 12-year-olds for washing the family car is as follows: 4
5, 6, 5, 5, 6, 4, 7, 4, 5, 5, 7, 8.

a Display the data as a histogram/frequency polygon combination graph.

b What was the most common amount paid for washing a car?

Answers:

b $5

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 Chapter 12: Representing and interpreting data Test A

13 Some of the ages in a class of Year 8 students are: 13, 13, 14, 12, 13, 14, 13, 12, 14. 2

a What is the mode and median of the distribution?

b Which is the better description of the year 8 students ages?

Answers:
a Mode = 13

12 12 13 13 13 13 14 14 14
Median = 13

b The mode

14 Paul's batting scores for cricket in a season are 17, 23, 9, 0, 8, 21, 12. 3

a What total batting score has he made in a season?

b How many games did he play?

c Find his average batting score?

Answers:
a Total = 90

b Number of games played = 7

c = 12.9 13

15 A school committee conducted a survey to find out whether teachers would prefer to 1
start the school day 30 minutes later. Only teachers with children in preschool were
surveyed. Why might the results of this survey NOT be a valid representation of what all
the teachers at the school would prefer?

A The student population was not surveyed.

B Only about 75% of the teachers surveyed preferred to start the school day later.
C The survey did not ask teachers whether their spouses worked.
D The survey was not conducted using a random sample of teachers.

Answer: D

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 Chapter 12: Representing and interpreting data Test A

REASONING
16 Is taking the heights of 20 basketball players a random sample of the general population? 2
If so, why? If not, why not?

Answer:
No. Basketball players are generally a lot taller than average, so the sample will not be
representative of the general population.

17 Two scout groups are taking part in a staring competition. The results are recorded in 2
seconds. The scores recorded for Group Eagle are:

Group Eagle Group Guppy

Stem Leaf Stem Leaf
0 0
0 0
0 4 0
0 7 7 0
0 9 9 0 8 9
1 0 01 1 0 11
1 2 3 1 2 2 2 33333
1 4 4 555 1 4 4 4 4 4 4 555
1 6 7 7 7 7 1 6 6
1 888 9 9 1 9

State whether the mean or the median is a better measure of the centre of each
distribution. Explain your answers.

Answer:
For Eagle, the median provides a better indication, because the data is skewed. Whereas
for Guppy, the mean and median are close in value, so either is good as a central
measure.

18 In positively skewed data the mean is more than the median. Explain why this is the 2
case.

Answer:
In positively skewed data, most of the values are at the lower end of the scale; hence, the
smaller median. The few larger values, while not impacting on the median, skew the
mean so that it is larger.

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 Chapter 12: Representing and interpreting data Test A

PROBLEM SOLVING
19 The average of 4 numbers is 23. One more number is added and the average becomes 2
24. What is the number added?

Answer:
4 × 23 = 92
5 × 24 = 120
120 – 92 = 28 is the number added.
20 A soccer team had averaged 2.6 goals per match after 5 matches. After their sixth match, 2
the average had dropped to 2.5. How many goals did they score in that latest match?

Answer:
2.6 × 5 = 13 goals in total for the 5 matches.
2.5 × 6 = 15 goals in total for the 6 matches.
15 – 13 = 2 goals scored in the last match.

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