Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi! For my project, I analyzed the number of particles collected on a vaseline in 5 different locations. 3 slides were set up at each location and the 5 locations were about 2 miles apart from my school to a local refinery. Can you help me figure out what kind of statistics to analyze that would benefit my project? Thank you!

Hello and welcome to Science Buddies,

I suggest that you start by making a graph of your observed number of particles for each sample at each location. You could show these results by labeling the X (horizontal) axis with each location. Then use the Y (vertical) axis to show the number of particles. So place a symbol (like a large dot or X) at the height on the Y axis that represents the number of particles.

This graph can show you several important results. First, for a given location, are the particle counts similar? Is there a location where the particle counts are very different?

Then, to compare the counts among the different locations, note the median count for each location (the middle observation). Are the different medians similar across locations? Or do the medians vary between locations by more than the counts vary at each location? Was the wind pattern different for some locations?

Your project display board can show this graph along with your answers to these questions. Tell us what you found and if you have more questions!