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8-63.

Ms. Carpenter asked each of her students to record how much time it takes them to get from school to home this afternoon. The next day, students came back with this data, in minutes: , , , 55, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .  

  1. Create a combination histogram and box plot to display this information. Use a bin width of minutes.

    Refer to Lessons 8.1.1 and 8.1.2 for more information on creating histograms and box plots. Remember that combining them in one display will help you better understand the collected data.

  2. Find the mean and the median. Why does neither plot seem very adequate in describing the center of this distribution? How could you better describe a “typical” trip home?

    In your histogram and box plot, it should be apparent that this data is bimodal, which means there are two trends or groups of similar data.

    Since the data is bimodal, the mean and median are not capturing the true nature of the students' trips home. An average student will take either around minutes or around minutes to get home.

  3. Considering the situation, make a conjecture as to why this data has a shape with two peaks.

    There are many different ways to get to school: by car, bus, bike, or foot. Do you think these different modes of transportation could affect travel time?

Use the eTool below to create the combination histogram and box plot.
Click the link at right for the full version of the eTool: 8-63 HW eTool