Statistics “is the study of the collection, organisation, analysis, and interpretation of data,” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistics). In biology, we need statistics in order to understand the data that we collect. Statistics can help us understand the reliability and validity of data, and different statistical tests allow us to develop explanations and draw conclusions based on experimental data. Attached to this page are two articles that explain statistics and their importance. One of the articles specifically addresses the syllabus statements in the IB Biology Subject Guide (Old Syllabus), and the other article gives a “layman’s” explanation of Standard Deviation. Read over both articles in order to understand the material, and then use Excel in order to answer questions about the two sets of data below.
Articles
Data Sets
Answer the following using the data sets below:
- What are the MEANS of data sets A and B?
- What are the STANDARD DEVIATIONS of the data in data sets A and B?
- Based on the STANDARD DEVIATIONS of the data, which data set has LESS error/uncertainty?
Data Set A: Calories Consumed in Single Day (WOMEN)
- 2212
- 1896
- 1653
- 2001
- 2119
- 1927
- 2450
- 2311
- 1873
- 2054
Data Set B: Calories Consumed in Single Day (MEN)
- 2773
- 2508
- 2072
- 3088
- 2123
- 2089
- 2698
- 2323
- 2450
- 2734