AP Stats
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Final Project
Design an experimental study for which one of the inference tests that are about
comparisons would be appropriate. So, most likely you will be using a 2-sample ttest or a t-test (matched pairs).
Surveys and observational studies are not permitted. You have an experiment if
you are randomly assigning “treatments” to the experimental units or the order of
the treatments is randomly assigned in the case of matched pairs with oneself.
I strongly prefer that the experimental units are people (subjects), and the
population of interest is Troy High School students (but I will entertain ideas for
experiments where people are not the experimental units). I am not really
interested in taste tests.
You need at least 20 experimental units per group—so 40 with an independent ttest and 20 with a dependent t-test.
You may do this project in a group of one or two.
It’s worth 150 points.
Everything that you turn in must be typed.
You may ask me to look over and provide feedback on any of the components
including the final project prior to the due date at no penalty.
Deadlines (Don’t even think about not meeting them.)
 Friday, April 24th: You (if you are working with someone, you both are required
to be there) must have a brief conference with me before or after school before the
deadline to discuss the following and get my approval.
(1) What is your question that you are trying to answer? (Yes, I want the
question—nothing less, nothing more.)
(2) What do you think your results will be? Why?
(3) Why do you want to try to answer this research question?
(4) How are you going to collect the data and design the study?
(5) What significance test are you going to use?
You do not need anything formally written up yet, but some notes would be
helpful. Also, multiple ideas could be a very good strategy especially if I reject
your first idea. When you have decided upon a date and time to meet with me, ask
me if I’m available and then if I say it’s ok, write it on the whiteboard along with
your name(s). (30 points)
 Wednesday, April 29th: Typed Word document answering the 5 questions in
detail in the previous deadline. (22.5 points)
 Monday, May 11th: Data Collection Completed & Exploratory Data Analysis–
exploratory means exploratory meaning no significance test yet, just explore the
data (Typed Word document with a short paragraph summarizing your study,
Fathom Data Table including first and last names of participants, Graphs, and
Summary Tables). Exploratory data analysis also includes describing in words
what you see in the data and preliminary conclusion you can make about you
research questions. Exploratory data analysis needs to be done on whatever
variable(s) you are doing the significance test on. Data needs to be on the same
axes for two-sample. You will lose a ton of points if I don’t have the names.
(22.5 points)
 Tuesday, May 19th & Wednesday, May 20th: Project (37.5 points) Due and
Presentation (37.5 points).
About the presentation: Each group will have 5–10 minutes to present their
project. Creativity and imagination count here. Think of it this way: all anyone
wants to know is what you did, what your data looked like, and what your results
were.
You are required to take pictures and/or video during the data collection
process and incorporate these into your presentation. (You will lose a ton of
points if you do not have this component.)
Your presentation can be a video, PowerPoint, Prezi, or whatever other technology
you know about.
It would be a good idea to check before the day of your presentation that
whatever technology you are using will work on my computer.
Final Project Requirements: You will turn in a paper copy of all these parts as a single
Word document.
 Title Page
 Question, Hypotheses, and Explanation of Hypotheses
 Study Design (explained in detail so someone could replicate it)
 Data Table
 Exploratory Data Analysis (Graphs & Summary Statistics)
 Inference with your data (Name the test, check conditions and assumptions, state
the hypotheses, formula for the test statistic, compute the test statistic and p-value,
sketch, and conclusion.) Significant results should also include the largest
confidence interval that does not include 0.
 Conclusion and generalizability and limitations of results (more detailed).
 Neatness, organization, spelling, grammar, and all those other things still count
here.
One More Final Project Requirement: You will turn in an electronic copy of your
Fathom file saved as your last name(s) with no spaces into my submit assignments folder
L:\Math\Westfall\Submit Assignments. (Recall you cannot open the submit assignments
folder, but must drag and drop your file on the folder.)
Some Experiments from previous years:
1. Is there a difference in the number of “cornholes” between THS students when
throwing from the dominant hand side versus the non-dominant hand side?
2. Is there a difference in reaction time between THS students when drinking water
versus when drinking Red Bull?
3. Is there a difference in the number of correct optical illusions identified between
THS students having prior mental stimulation versus those who did not have prior
mental stimulation?
4. Is there a difference in the distance of throwing a disc golf Frisbee backhanded
versus forearmed?
5. Is there a difference in the number of shots made between THS students when
shooting a basketball indoors versus shooting a basketball outdoors?
6. Is there a difference in swim time between THS student swimming with a shirt
versus swimming in a bathing suit?
7. Is there a difference in the distance between THS students kicking an under inflated
soccer ball versus an over inflated soccer ball?
8. Is there a difference in the time it takes THS students to run a 100-meter dash when
stretching versus not stretching?
9. Is there a difference in the time it takes THS students to run a 100-meter dash when
wearing spikes versus “regular” shoes?
10. Is there a difference in the time it takes THS students to run in shoes versus
barefoot?
11. Is there a difference in the time it takes THS students to walk when texting versus
not texting?
12. Is there a difference in the number of shots THS students make when shooting a set
shot versus a jump shot?
13. Which instrument feels heavier to THS students: the tenor drums or the
sousaphone?
14. Is there a difference in swimming times of THS students when starting off a block
versus pushing off the wall?
15. Is there a difference in the number of pins THS students can knock down when
using an eight-pound ball versus a thirteen-pound ball?
16. Is there a difference in throwing strikes among THS students when throwing off a
mound versus flat ground?
17. Is there a difference among student achievement for THS students when someone
is watching over them versus no one is watching?
18. Is there a difference in the distance THS students can hit a ball when using an
aluminum bat versus using a wooden bat?
19. When shooting a round of trap is there a difference between having both eyes open
versus having the non-dominate eye closed?
20. Is the number of footballs you can catch greater when wearing gloves versus barehanded?
21. Are right-foot dominate soccer players more likely to kick to the right side or left
side of the goal when a goalie is standing directly in the middle of the goal?
22. Do balance bands help to improve the balance of those who are wearing them?
23. Do same sex or opposite sex pairs work better together?
24. Do you have a higher vertical leap when jumping off of two feet or running and
jumping off of one foot?
25. Is there a difference in the distance that a person can read while listening to an iPod
versus without listening to an iPod?