Worksheet one: Speed of Sound

sound
speed (m/s)
450
375
236
327
302
319
324
333
341
395
335
347
455
520
546
295
231
275
271
295
257
462
348
300

Josita, Divine Grace, Georgie Students in SC 130 Physical Science measured the speed of sound by measuring the distance and duration of flight for a sound based on the time delay of the arrival of the echo. Teams recorded and calculated twenty-five different sound speeds recorded in the table.

  1. What is the level of measurement?
  2. Is the variable discrete or continous?
  3. Is the data qualitative or quantitative?
  4. What is the name of the variable?
  5. Calculate the sample size n.
  6. Calculate the zeroth quartile.
  7. Calculate the first quartile.
  8. Calculate the second quartile.
  9. Calculate the third quartile.
  10. Calculate the fourth quartile.
  11. Calculate the Inter-Quartile Range.
  12. Calculate the minimum.
  13. Calculate the maximum.
  14. Calculate the range.
  15. Calculate the midrange.
  16. Calculate the mode.
  17. Calculate the median.
  18. Calculate the sample mean x.
  19. Calculate the sample standard deviation sx.
  20. Calculate the coefficient of variation.
  21. Calculate the standard error of the sample mean x
  22. Calculate tcritical for a confidence level c of 95%
  23. Calculate the margin of error E for the sample mean x.
  24. Write out the 95% confidence interval for the population mean μ speed of sound.
    p( __ < μ < __ ) = 0.95
  25. The actual speed of sound that day was 348 m/s. Is 348 m/s a possible speed of sound based on the 95% confidence interval for the experimental measurements?