Test 4A AP Statistics Name:

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

1. A new headache remedy was given to a group of 25 subjects who had headaches. Four hours
after taking the new remedy, 20 of the subjects reported that their headaches had disappeared.
From this information you conclude
(a) that the remedy is effective for the treatment of headaches.
(b) nothing, because the sample size is too small.
(c) nothing, because there is no control group for comparison.
(d) that the new treatment is better than aspirin.
(e) that the remedy is not effective for the treatment of headaches.

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

Suppose the households are numbered 01, 02, . . . , 50, and suppose that the relevant line of
the random number table is 11362 35692 96237 90842 46843 62719 64049
17823.
Then the households selected are
(a) households 11 13 36 62 73
(b) households 11 36 23 08 42
(c) households 11 36 23 23 08
(d) households 11 36 23 56 92
(e) households 11 35 96 90 46

3. A maple sugar manufacturer wants to estimate the average trunk diameter of Sugar Maples
trees in a large forest. There are too many trees to list them all and take a SRS, so he divids
the forest into several hundred 10 meter by 10 meter plots, selects 25 plots at random, and
measures the diameter of every Sugar Maple in each one. This is an example of a
(a) multistage sample.
(b) stratified sample.
(c) simple random sample.
(d) cluster sample.
(e) convenience sample.

4. A researcher for a consumer products company is field testing a new formula for laundry
detergent. He has contracted with 60 families, each with two children, who have agreed to
test the product. He randomly assigns 30 families to the group that will use the new formula
and 30 to the group that will use the company’s current detergent formula. The most
important reason for this random assignment is that
(a) randomization makes the analysis easier since the data can be collected and entered into
the computer in any order.
(b) randomization eliminates the impact of any confounding variables.
(c) randomization is a good way to create two groups of 30 families that are as similar as
possible, so that comparisons can be made between the two groups.
(d) randomization ensures that the study is double-blind.
(e) randomization reduces the impact of outliers.

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 5. To test the effect of music on productivity, a group of assembly line workers are
given portable mp3 players to play whatever music they choose while working for one
month. For another month, they work without music. The order of the two treatments
for each worker is determined randomly. This is
(a) an observational study.
(b) a matched pairs experiment.
(c) a completely randomized experiment.
(d) a block design, but not a matched pairs experiment.
(e) impossible to classify unless more details of the study are provided.

6. A survey was done in the town of Mechanicsville to estimate the proportion of cars that are
red and made by companies based in Japan. A random sample of 25 cars from a student
parking lot at Lee-Davis High School was taken. Which of the following statements is not
correct?
(a) This sample may not be representative of the cars in Mechanicsville because mainly
students park at Lee-Davis High School.
(b) If the particular parking space is vacant, we can simply select another parking space at
random because it is unlikely that a space being vacant is related to the color or
manufacturer of the car.
(c) It would an error to simply select the first 25 parking spaces in the lot closest to the
auditorium because there are a number of parking spaces there reserved for Drivers Ed
vehicles, whose primary color is white.
(d) A different team doing the sampling independently would obtain different answers for
their sample proportions.
(e) The results will be the same regardless of the time of day that the sample is taken.

7. 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

8. A researcher observes that, on average, the number of divorces in cities with Major League
Baseball teams is larger than in cities without Major League Baseball teams. The most
plausible explanation for this observed association is that the
(a) presence of a Major League Baseball team causes the number of divorces to rise (perhaps
husbands are spending too much time at the ballpark).
(b) high number of divorces is responsible for the presence of Major League Baseball teams
(more single men means potentially more fans at the ballpark, making it attractive for an
owner to relocate to such cities).
(c) association is due to the presence of a lurking variable (Major League teams tend to be in
large cities with more people, hence a greater number of divorces).
(d) association makes no sense, since many married couples go to the ballpark together.

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 (e) observed association is purely coincidental. It is implausible to believe the observed
association could be anything other than accidental.

9. Control groups are used in experiments in order to

(a) control the effects of outside variables on the outcome.
(b) control the subjects of a study to ensure that all participate equally.
(c) guarantee that someone other than the investigators, who have a vested interest in the
outcome, controls how the experiment is conducted.
(d) achieve a proper and uniform level of randomization.
(e) reduce the variability in results.

10. A survey is to be administered to recent graduates of a certain nursing school in order to

compare the starting salaries of women and men. For a random sample of graduates, three
variables are to be recorded: sex, starting salary, and area of specialization. Which of the
follow best describes a conclusion that can be drawn from this study?
(a) Whether being female causes graduates of this nursing school to have lower (or higher)
starting salaries than males.
(b) Whether being female causes graduates in this sample to have lower (or higher) starting
salaries than males.
(c) Whether choosing certain area of specialization causes females graduates of this nursing
school to have lower (or higher) starting salaries than males.
(d) Whether there is an association between sex and starting salary among graduates of this
nursing school.
(e) Whether there is an association between sex and starting salary at all nursing schools
similar to this one.

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 Part 2: Free Response
Show all your work. Indicate clearly the methods you use, because you will be graded on the
correctness of your methods as well as on the accuracy and completeness of your results and
explanations.

11. Read the following brief article about aspirin and alcohol.
Aspirin may enhance impairment by alcohol
Aspirin, a long time antidote for the side effects of drinking, may actually enhance alcohol’s effect, researchers at
the Bronx Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center say. In a report on a study published in the Journal of the American
Medical Association, the researchers said they found that aspirin significantly lowered the body’s ability to break
down alcohol in the stomach. As a result, five volunteers who had a standard breakfast and two extra-strength
aspirin tablets an hour before drinking had blood alcohol levels 30 percent higher than each had when they drank
alcohol alone. Each volunteer consumed the equivalent of a glass and a half of wine.
That 30 percent could make the difference between sobriety and impairment, said Dr. Charles S. Lieber,
medical director of the Alcohol Research and Treatment Center at the Bronx center, who was co-author of the
report with Dr. Risto Roine.

(a) Explain why this is an experiment and not an observational study.

(b) Identify the explanatory and response variables.

(c) Identify the experimental design used in this study. Justify your answer.

(d) In the second sentence above is the phrase, “…researchers said they found that aspirin
significantly lowered the body’s ability to break down alcohol…” What is the statistical
meaning of the word “significantly” in the context of this study?

(e) This was a controlled experiment. Describe how it was controlled and explain the
purpose of doing so.

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12. High blood pressure adds to the workload of the heart and arteries and may increase the risk
of heart attacks. If not treated, this condition can also lead to heart failure, kidney failure, or
stroke. We wish to test the effectiveness of Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors as
a treatment for high blood pressure.

(a) It is well known that men and women may react differently to common cardiovascular
drug treatments. What sort of experimental design would you choose for this study, and
why?

(b) Explain why an experiment involving 600 men and 500 women is preferable to one
involving 60 men and 50 women.

(c) Assume that 600 men and 500 women suffering from high blood pressure are available
for the study. Describe a design for this experiment. Be sure to include a description of
how you assign individuals to the treatment groups.

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13. Bias is present in each of the following sampling designs. In each case, identify the type of
bias involved and state whether you think the sample result obtained is lower or higher than
the actual value for the population.

(a) A political pollster seeks information about the proportion of American adults who
oppose gun controls. He asks an SRS of 1000 American adults: “Do you agree or
disagree with the following statement: Americans should preserve their constitutional
right to keep and bear arms.” A total of 910, or 91%, said, “Agree” (that is, 910 out of
the 1000 oppose gun controls).

(b) A flour company in Minneapolis wants to know what percent of local households bake at
least twice a week. A company representative calls 500 randomly-selected households
during the daytime and finds that 50% of those who responded bake at least twice a
week.

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