Activity 3.

5 Applied Statistics
Introduction
Today’s consumers are constantly trying to judge the quality of products. But what is
quality? How and by whom is quality determined? Some would say the designer
creates specifications, which in turn dictate the quality of a product. That quality is
also based on the acceptable value of a part within a whole product.
Statistics are commonly used in manufacturing processes to control and maintain
quality. This activity will allow you to apply statistics in order to analyze and
determine the quality of a set of wooded cubes.

In this activity you will collect data and then perform statistical analyses to determine
measures of central tendency and variation of the data. You will also represent the
data using a histogram.

Equipment
 Engineering notebook
 Pencil
 Dial caliper

Procedure
1. Part of the manufacturing quality control testing for a toy is to measure the depth
of a connector piece that must fit into another part. The designed depth is 4.1 cm.
Every tenth part produced on the production line is measured. The following data
was collected during a two minute production period.
4.1, 4.1, 4.0, 4.1, 3.9, 4.4, 3.9, 4.3, 4.0, 4.2, 4.0, 3.8
a. Calculate each of the following measures of central tendency. Show your
work.
2. Mean: 4.1+ 4.1+ 4.0+ 4.1+ 3.9+ 4.4+ 3.9+ 4.3+ 4.0+ 4.2+ 4.0+ 3.8= 48.8/12=
4.0666

Median: 4.05
Mode: 4.1

a. Calculate each of the following measures of variation for the data set.
Show your work. A table has been provided to help you calculate the
standard deviations. In the table round values in the last two columns to

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 four decimal places. Report the standard deviation statistics to four
decimal places.
 Range: .6
 Standard Deviation of this data: _____________
 Estimated Standard Deviation for all pieces produced: _____________
x x-µ (x-µ)2
3.8 .2667
3.9 .1667
3.9 .1667
4.0 .0667
4.0 .0667
4.0 .0667
4.1 .0333
4.1 .0333
4.2 .1333
4.3 .2333
4.3 .2333
4.4 .3333

b. Create a histogram for the data using the grid below. The horizontal axis
should display each length measurement from the minimum to maximum
recorded lengths. You may choose to begin with a dot plot and then fill in
the bars. Be sure to label your axes.

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IED – Activity 3.5 Applied Statistics – Page 2
 c. Is the data normally distributed? Justify your answer.

3. Use the mean and (sample) standard deviation to make predictions about the
spread of the depth of all of the connector pieces produced in this production run.

a. Calculate each of the following. Round answers to the thousandth of a cm:

 µ + σ ________________________
 µ ‒ σ ________________________
 µ + 2σ ________________________
 µ ‒ 2σ ________________________

between the values of µ ± σ.

b. Write an inequality that represents all of the data values, X, that fall

c. Theoretically, if the data is normally distributed, what percentage of the

samples should fall within the 1 standard deviation of the mean?
68%

µ - σ < X < µ + σ where X is the depth of the connector piece? Note that
d. What percentage of the data values fall within the limits of

µ - σ < X < µ + σ is referred to as a compound inequality. Show your

work. Does this agree with the theoretical percentage? If not, explain.

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 between the values of µ ± 2σ.
e. Write an inequality that represents all of the data values, X, that fall

f. Theoretically, if the data is normally distributed, what percentage of the

samples should fall within one standard deviations of the mean?
68%

µ - 2σ < X < µ + 2σ where X is the depth of the connector piece? Note

g. What percentage of the data values fall within the limits of

that µ -2 σ < X < µ + 2σ i is referred to as a compound inequality. Show

your work. Does this agree with the theoretical percentage? If not,
explain.

4. Use the dial caliper to accurately measure and record the end grain side length
of twenty-seven ¾” hardwood cubes. Due to the nature of wood and its ability to
expand and contract, reference faces from which to take measurements must be
established. Locate the end grain pattern on each block. There are two such
faces on opposite sides of the block. Label each cube, 1 through 27, with a
pencil on a non-end grain face.

Measure the side length of each block along the grain. When taking a measurement,
position the block so the caliper measuring surfaces are touching the end grain
faces. Record the measurements to create a data set. Accuracy =.001 in

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 .736 Wood cube .744
Wood cube 1: 15:
.737 Wood cube .745
Wood cube 2: 16:
.739 Wood cube .745
Wood cube 3: 17:
.740 Wood cube .746
Wood cube 4: 18:
.741 Wood cube .747
Wood cube 5: 19:
.741 Wood cube .748
Wood cube 6: 20:
.741 Wood cube .748
Wood cube 7: 21:
.741 Wood cube .748
Wood cube 8: 22:
.743 Wood cube .749
Wood cube 9: 23:
Wood cube .743 Wood cube .750
10: 24:
Wood cube .743 Wood cube .751
11: 25:
Wood cube .743 Wood cube .754
12: 26:
Wood cube .744 Wood cube .756
13: 27:
Wood cube .744
14:

5. Calculate the following measures of central tendency for the set of cube
measurement data. Show your work or explain your procedure for each.
Mean: sum of x= 20.107/27= 0.74470

Median: .744

Mode: .741/.743

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6. Calculate each of the following measures of variation. Show your work.
 Range: max- min (.756)- (.736)= .20

7. Represent the data set with a histogram. Shade one square to represent the
measurement of each cube.

8.

Does your data appear to be normally distributed? Justify your answer.

I think it is not due to there not being many cubes at least .002 inches off
and I think since the cube is supposed to be .750 and most of the ended
being .741/.743 I think it is not normal.

9. Assume that a block meets quality standards if the dimension along the grain is
between 0.745 in. and 0.755 in.
a. Write the size constraint as a compound inequality.
0.755 and 0.745 is greater than or equal to x and Less than or equal
to x
b. What percentage of your sample blocks would be considered acceptable?
Show your work. 22.2% would be it due to 6/27=0.22222 repeating

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 10. Assuming a normal distribution, how many of your side length measurements
would you predict will fall within one standard deviation of the mean?
I think 2-5 would

11. From an ordered list what would you estimate to be the smallest side length
measurement within one standard deviation of the mean? What would you
estimate to be the largest side length measurement within one standard deviation
of the mean?

I think the smallest in that 68% would be either .743 or .744 and the largest
being .748 or .749

12. Challenge: Estimate the standard deviation of the side length of wooden blocks
based on your data without actually performing the lengthy calculation. Hint: use
the mean value and the answer to the previous question. You will have a chance
to calculate the standard deviation using technology in Activity 3.5.

Conclusion
13. You have calculated statistics related to your twenty seven wooden cubes.
Consider how your statistical analysis results would change if all of the data
values for all of the cubes measured by all of the students in your class were
compiled and used for analysis. Then answer the following questions.
a. How would the histogram of the entire class’ data change compared to
your histogram?
The histogram would change with there being not much of a wider Varity
of measurements but much of the same making it a much larger scale of a
histogram.

b. What value would you expect for the mean of the length measurements if
the data from the entire class were used? Explain.
The value I would expect for the mean of the measurement from the entire class would
be either in the 19-21 due to the numbers all not being enough to be a single number

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but also enough to be a number and more together so I think taking off a few numbers
would be an accurate idea.

c. Would you expect the standard deviation of the class’ measurements be

larger, smaller, or about the same as the standard deviation of your
measurements? Why?
I would either expect them be larger or the same due to the blocks having
to be at least close to the measurement being done.

14. In which phase(s) of a design process might statistics be most useful? Why?

The phase statistics would be useful would either be designing or constructing

the items due to the measurements might be off from the actually design needed
so to calculate what is needed would be important for the machinery too and
workers so they understand their job and what the object is.

15. How can statistics of a product’s dimensions be used to assess the quality of the
product? This could assess the quality by showing that it is relativly the same
size with the products being the correct exact shape so it would be completely
different and a failed product when produced.

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