Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi there! I am struggling to find a statistical test to use in order to analyze the data from a mold bread experiment. I have tested 3 types of bread (whole wheat, white and organic) to see which one grows mold faster. I have a data frame with 2 columns (Time and Bread type). For each bread i had 5 observations (5 slices). It is best to use the t-test for 2 independent groups? Can i consider 2 groups (time and type of bread), or do i have 3 groups (3 types of breads) and use an Anova?

Thank you!

Hi, thanks for the question!

I would recommend first performing a one-way ANOVA test followed by a post hoc test. This is because you have three independent groups (types of bread) being tested for significant quantities of mold. The ANOVA will let you know if there is a statistically significant difference, and the post hoc will confirm where the differences between groups occurred (if the ANOVA shows a significance).

Good luck with your experiment!