The Effects Popcorn Brands Have on Popping Efficiency
Cameron Garner and Austin Craft
AP Statistics
5/1/15
Introduction
Problem Statement
The purpose of this study was to determine which brand of popcorn leaves a lower proportion of
uncooked kernels.
Hypothesis
Ho: The brand of popcorn has no effect on the average proportion of uncooked popcorn kernels
per bag in the Ashland area.
Ha: There is a significant difference between the average proportion of uncooked popcorn
kernels per bag of Orville Redenbacher popcorn than Act II popcorn in the Ashland area.
Operational Definitions
Uncooked Popcorn Kernel- a kernel that had no indication of popping.
Popcorn Brand- the two popcorn brands that were tested are “Orville Redenbacher’s” and “Act
II.”
Significance of the Study
This research was conducted to determine whether there was a popcorn brand that produced a
greater proportion of popped popcorn kernels than other brands. This could be significant in that
customers may be able to get more popcorn for their money when buying a certain brand of
popcorn.
Method
Research Design
This was a correlational study to determine whether popcorn brand affects the proportion of
popcorn kernels that are popped.
Subjects and Sampling
Two different brands of popcorn were used as samples: Orville Redenbacher and Act II. Enough
boxes of each brand were randomly chosen in order to supply 30 bags of each type. The boxes
were chosen by numbering them and then using the randInt function of a calculator to select
which ones to choose. Once the boxes were bought, all the bags of popcorn were removed from
the Orville Redenbacher boxes and were numbered. The randInt function was again used to
determine the 30 bags of Orville Redenbacher popcorn that were used. This process was repeated
for Act II.
Instrumentation
A table and comparative dot plots were used to record the proportion of uncooked popcorn
kernels that were left in each bag. These provided a visual aid to see whether popcorn brand has
any effect on the average proportion of uncooked popcorn kernels. For purposes of this study,
uncooked popcorn kernels only included kernels that had not yet begun to pop. Half-popped
kernels were counted as popped. The data was reliable and valid, because the boxes and bags of
popcorn were randomly selected; there were more than 300 bags of each brand of popcorn; and
each distribution was approximately Normal, because they both satisfied CLT.
Procedure
Each bag of popcorn was placed in the center of the same microwave for two minutes. The
microwave that was used for this procedure was one which contained a rotating disk. The two
types of popcorn were arranged into pairs with each pair containing both types of popcorn. A
coin was flipped for each pair to decide which brand of popcorn would be popped first. Once one
bag of popcorn was popped and removed, the next bag was immediately placed in the microwave
to begin its popping cycle. Once all the bags of popcorn were popped, the proportion of
uncooked kernels was determined and recorded in a table.
Data Analysis
A two sample t-test was used to find the difference in means of two independent populations;
Orville Redenbacher's popcorn and ACT II popcorn.
Results
µ1= true mean proportion of uncooked popcorn kernels in bags of Orville Redenbacher.
µ2= true mean proportion of uncooked popcorn kernels in bags of Act II.
Ho: µ1=µ2
Ha: µ1≠µ2
Conditions:
Random
10% Assume there are more than 300 bags of both Orville Redenbacher and Act II popcorn.
CLT
30≥30
30≥30
Two-Sample T Test:
Let α=.05
Using the 2-SampTTest function of a calculator, the p-value was determined to be .024.
Discussion
Conclusions
Assuming that there is no difference between the mean proportion of uncooked popcorn kernels
in Orville Redenbacher and Act II, there is a .024 probability that there would be a difference of
.109 or more. Because the p-value of .024 is less than α=.05, reject the Ho. There is sufficient
evidence to show that there is a difference in the mean proportion of uncooked popcorn kernels
in Orville Redenbacher and Act II.
Implications
Because the samples of popcorn were taken from the Wal-Mart in Ashland, the results of this test
can only be applied to the city of Ashland.
Limitations
One possible confounding variable found in this study was the leftover heat in the microwave.
The extra heat had already warmed the kernels and may have caused them to pop faster. Another
confounding variable involving the microwave was that after many bags had been popped, the
microwave may not have been as efficient as it was in the beginning due to constant usage. One
last confounding variable is that it was hard to determine what classified as a popped kernel. This
may have led to an overestimate or an underestimate of the true number of popped and uncooked
kernels.
Recommendations for Future Research
In order to reduce confounding variables that involve the microwave, allow a cool-down time of
30-60 seconds between each bag of popcorn. This would allow some of the excess heat to
dissipate before popping the next bag. To reduce the confounding variable of classifying kernels,
make the same person count the kernels in order to have a consistent way of determining whether
a kernel is popped or not.