Questions and Answers of Statistics For Engineering And The Sciences

According to NASA, each space shuttle in the U.S. fleet has 1,500 “critical items” that could lead to catastrophic failure if rendered inoperable during flight. NASA estimates that the chance of
A study was conducted to examine the relationship between the cost structure and the mechanical properties of equiaxed grains in unidirectionally solidified ingots (Metallurgical Transactions, May
Researchers at the Upjohn Company have developed a sustained-release tablet for a prescription drug. To determine the effectiveness of the tablet, the following experiment was conducted. Six tablets
The Journal of Risk and Uncertainty (May 1992) published an article investigating the relationship of injury rate of drivers of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) to a variety of factors. One of the more
Biologists define a “hot spot” as a species-rich geographical area (10-kilometer square). Nature (Sept. 1993) reported on a study of hot spots for several rare British species, including
An article in IEEE Computer Applications in Power (April 1990) describes “an unmanned watching system to detect intruders in real time without spurious detections, both indoors and outdoors, using
Environmental engineers classify U.S. consumers into five groups based on consumers’ feelings about environmentalism:1. Basic browns claim they don’t have the knowledge to understand
A state Department of Transportation (DOT) recently claimed that each of five bidders received equal consideration in the awarding of two road construction contracts and that, in fact, the two
To evaluate the traffic control systems of four facilities relying on computer-based equipment, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) formed a 16- member task force. If the FAA wants to assign 4
Sky & Telescope (May 1993) reported that Noah Brosch of Tel Aviv University, Israel, discovered a new asterism in Virgo. “Five stars, all appearing brighter than about the 13th magnitude,
Suppose you need to replace 5 gaskets in a nuclear-powered device. If you have a box of 20 gaskets from which to make the selection, how many different choices are possible; i.e., how many different
A study was conducted by Union Carbide to identify the optimal catalyst preparation conditions in the conversion of monoethanolamide (MEA) to ethylenediamine (EDA), a substance used commercially in
Refer to the IEICE Transactions on Information & Systems (Jan. 2005) study of impedance to leg movement, Exercise 2.46. Recall that Korean engineers attached electrodes to the ankles and
Refer to the Psychological Science (August, 2011) study comparing the accuracy of experts and novices in identifying fingerprints, Exercise 3.36. The percentages of correct decisions made by the two
ARTHUR is the Norwegian Army’s high-tech radar system designed to identify and track “unfriendly” artillery grenades, calculate where enemy positions are, and direct counterattacks on the
Electric wheelchairs are difficult to maneuver for many disabled people. In a paper presented at the 1st International Workshop on Advances in Service Robotics (March, 2003), researchers applied
Writing in Environmental Science & Technology (May 1986), Joseph Fiksel researched the problem of compensating victims of chronic diseases (such as cancer and birth defects) who are exposed to
Transportation Quarterly (Jan. 1993) identified several studies on truck accidents that utilized misleading or inappropriate probability analysis. Consider the following excerpt from the article.*
The genetic origin and properties of maize (modern-day corn) was investigated in Economic Botany (Jan.–Mar. 1995). Seeds from maize ears carry either single spikelets or paired spikelets, but not
The transport of neutral particles in an evacuated duct is an important aspect of nuclear fusion reactor design. In one experiment, particles entering through the duct ends streamed unimpeded until
Researchers for the University of Maryland Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering used stochastic dynamic programming to determine optimal load estimates for electric power (Journal of
Software engineers are working on developing a fully automated fingerprint identification algorithm. Currently, expert examiners are required to identify the person who left the fingerprint. A study
Refer to the Cell (May 14, 2010) study of the chemical signals of mice, Exercise 3.18. Recall that lab mice were exposed to odors (Mups) from rodent species A, odors from rodent species B, and
The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission assesses the safety risks associated with nuclear power plants. The commission estimates that the probability of a nuclear reactor core meltdown is 1
The probability that a data communications system will have high selectivity is .72, the probability that it will have high fidelity is .59, and the probability that it will have both is .33. Find
The game of roulette. Refer to the game of roulette and the events described in Exercise 3.20. Finda. P(A| B)b. P(B | C)c. P(C | A)Data from Exercise 3.20 One game that is popular in many
Refer to the Journal of Engineering, Computing and Architecture (Vol. 3., 2009) study of cell phone handoff behavior, Exercise 3.15. Recall that the different color codes accessed by two different
Refer to the Oil & Gas Journal (Jan. 3, 2005) study of active and inactive oil and gas structures in the Gulf of Mexico, Exercise 3.19 (p. 93). The table summarizing the results of the study is
Refer to the Environmental Science & Technology (Jan. 2005) study of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) contamination in 223 New Hampshire wells, Exercise 3.7. Each well is classified according to
An oil-drilling venture involves the drilling of six wildcat oil wells in different parts of the country. Suppose that each drilling will produce either a dry well or an oil gusher. Assuming that the
One game that is popular in many American casinos is roulette. Roulette is played by spinning a ball on a circular wheel that has been divided into 38 arcs of equal length; these bear the numbers 00,
Refer to the USDA report on slaughtered chickens that pass inspection with fecal contamination, Exercise 3.8. Consider a sample of five chickens that have all passed the standard USDA inspection.
Refer to the Environmental Science & Technology (Jan. 2005) study of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) contamination in 223 New Hampshire wells, Exercise 3.7. Each well is classified according to
A “handoff” is a term used in wireless communications to describe the process of a cell phone moving from a coverage area of one base station to another. Each base station has multiple channels
Refer to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study of six beaches with high erosion rates (i.e., beach hot spots). Exercise 3.6. Use the rule of complements to find the probability that a beach hot spot
Refer to the Process Safety Progress (Sept. 2004) study of toxic chemical incidents in Taiwan, Exercise 3.5.a. Find the probability that the incident occurs in either a chemical or nonchemical
Beechwood forests in East Central Europe are being threatened by dynamic changes in land ownership and economic upheaval. The current status of the beech tree species in this area was evaluated by
Refer to the Environmental Science & Technology (Jan. 2005) study of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) contamination in New Hampshire wells, Exercise 2.12. Data collected for a sample of 223 wells
Refer to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study of beaches with high erosion rates (i.e., beach hot spots). Exercise 2.5. The data for six beach hot spots are reproduced in the table below.a. Suppose
Process Safety Progress (Sept. 2004) reported on an emergency response system for incidents involving toxic chemicals in Taiwan. The system has logged over 250 incidents since being implemented in
Acoustical engineers conducted a study of rare underwater sounds in a specific region of the Pacific Ocean, such as humpback whale screams, dolphin whistles, and sounds from passing ships (Acoustical
Refer to the 2013 National Science Foundation (NSF) study on girls participation in informal science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) programs, Exercise 2.3. Recall that the researchers
Astronomers theorize that cold dark matter (CDM) caused the formation of galaxies. The theoretical CDM model requires an estimate of the velocity of light emitted from the galaxy. The Astronomical
Industrial engineers periodically conduct “work measurement” analyses to determine the time required to produce a single unit of output. At a large processing plant, the number of total
Scram is the term used by nuclear engineers to describe a rapid emergency shutdown of a nuclear reactor. The nuclear industry has made a concerted effort to significantly reduce the number of
Sixty-six bulk specimens of Chilean lumpy iron ore (95% particle size, 150 millimeters) were randomly sampled from a 35,325-long-ton shipload of ore, and the percentage of iron in each ore specimen
Refer to the Journal of Engineering for Industry (May 1993) study of deep hole drilling described in Exercise 1.26 (p. 20). An analysis of drill chip congestion was performed using data generated via
Dyes are used in coloration products, such as textiles, paper, leather, and foodstuffs, and are required by law to be in gasoline to indicate the presence of lead. To monitor environmental
Refer to the American Journal of Science (Jan., 2005) study of the chemical makeup of buried glacial drifts (tills), Exercise 2.22 (p. 38). The data on the Al/Be ratios for a sample of 26 buried till
Each year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash tests new car models to determine how well they protect the driver and front-seat passenger in a head-on collision. The
A Harris Corporation/University of Florida study was undertaken to determine whether a manufacturing process performed at a remote location can be established locally. Test devices (pilots) were set
In Florida, civil engineers are designing roads with the latest safety-oriented construction methods in response to the fact that more people in Florida are killed by bad roads than by guns. One
A promising new technology for generating electricity uses microbial fuel cells (MFCs)—a product of natural human wastewaters. Over the past several years, research in employing MFCs for this
According to the Rubber Manufacturers Association, there are approximately 300 million tires scrapped each year in the U.S. The summary table below describes the fate of these scrapped tires.a.
Recall Exercise 2.24, that phishing is the term used to describe an attempt to extract personal/financial information from unsuspecting people through fraudulent email. Data from an actual phishing
Refer to the American Journal of Physical Anthropology (Vol. 142, 2010) study of the dietary habits of extinct primates, Exercise 2.14 . Recall that cheek teeth were extracted from skulls discovered
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University developed an algorithm for estimating the sensor motion of a robotic arm by mounting a camera with inertia sensors on the arm. (The International Journal of
Refer to the data on sanitation levels of cruise ships, Exercise 2.17.a. Use the box plot method to detect any outliers in the data.b. Use the z-score method to detect any outliers in the data.c. Do
Paving bricks—called clinkers—were examined for trace elements in order to determine the origin (e.g., factory) of the clinker. (Advances in Cement Research, Jan. 2004.) The barium content
Recall (from Exercise 2.26) that the mean base salary of a software engineering manager is $126,417 (Electronic Design’s 2012 Engineering Salary Survey). Assume (as in Exercises 2.38 and 2.51) that
Refer to the Minerals Engineering (Vol. 46-47, 2013) study of the impact of calcium and gypsum on the flotation properties of silica in water, Exercises 2.23, 2.34 and 2.40. Recall that zeta
Refer to the sanitation levels of cruise ships, Exercise 2.19, saved in the SHIPSANIT file.a. Give a measure of relative standing for the Nautilus Explorer’s score of 74. Interpret the result.b.
A key pollutant of the Florida Everglades is total phosphorous (TP). Chance (Summer 2003) reported on a study to establish standards for TP water quality in the Everglades. The Florida Department of
Recall (from Exercise 2.26) that the mean base salary of a software engineering manager is $126,417 (Electronic Design’s 2012 Engineering Salary Survey). Assume (as in Exercise 2.38) that the
Refer to the 2010 CSI Computer Crime and Security Survey, Exercise 2.13. Recall that the percentage of monetary losses attributable to malicious insider actions was recorded for 144 firms. The
In an experiment to monitor the impedance to leg movement, Korean engineers attached electrodes to the ankles and knees of volunteers. Of interest was the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of impedance
Refer to the Environmental Science & Technology (Jan. 2005) study of the MTBE contamination in New Hampshire wells, Exercise 2.12. Consider only the data for those wells with detectable levels of
Engineers who design shopping vehicles (e.g., carts) for retail stores take into account issues such as maneuverability, shopping behavior, child safety, and maintenance cost. Interestingly, while
Refer to the Minerals Engineering (Vol. 46-47, 2013) study of the impact of calcium and gypsum on the flotation properties of silica in water, Exercise 2.23 and 2.34. Recall that one flotation
Refer to the Environmental Science & Technology (Sept. 1, 2000) study on the ammonia levels near the exit ramp of a San Francisco highway tunnel, Exercise 2.30. The data (in parts per million)
Recall (from Exercise 2.26) that the mean base salary of a software engineering manager is $126,417 (Electronic Design’s 2012 Engineering Salary Survey). Assume the distribution of base salaries
Refer to the Centers for Disease Control study of sanitation levels for 186 international cruise ships, Exercise 2.19. (Recall that sanitation scores ranged from 0 to 100.) Find and interpret
In Environmental Geology (Vol. 58, 2009) computer simulation was employed to estimate how far a block from a collapsing rock wall will bounce—called rebound length—down a soil slope. Based on the
Refer to the University of Alaska study to monitor the level of radioactivity in lichen, Exercise 2.15. The amount of the radioactive element cesium-137 (measured in microcuries per milliliter) for
According to Electronic Design’s 2012 Engineering Salary Survey, the mean base salary of a software engineering manager is $126,417—the highest mean among all types of engineers. In contrast, a
Measures of central tendency. Find the mean, median, and mode for each of the following data sets.a. 4, 3, 10, 8, 5b. 9, 6, 12, 4, 4, 2, 5, 6
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (www.ucsusa.org), as of November 2012, there were 502 low Earth orbit (LEO) and 432 geosynchronous orbit (GEO) satellites in space. Each satellite is
Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering commissioned a survey on Americans’ attitudes toward engineering. A telephone survey was conducted among a representative national sample of 808
Refer to Exercise 1.14. The most recent NBI data were analyzed, and the results made available at the FHWA web site (www.fhwa.dot.gov). Using the FHWA inspection ratings, each of the nearly 600,000
State whether each of the following data sets is quantitative or qualitative.a. Arrival times of 16 reflected seismic wavesb. Types of computer software used in a database management systemc. Brands
Perry’s model of intellectual development was applied to undergraduate engineering students at Penn State (Journal of Engineering Education, Jan. 2005). Perry scores (ranging from 1 to 5) were
”Deep hole” drilling is a family of drilling processes used when the ratio of hole depth to hole diameter exceeds 10. Successful deep hole drilling depends on the satisfactory discharge of the
A chemical engineer conducts an experiment to determine the amount of hydrochloric acid necessary to neutralize 2 milliliters (ml) of a newly developed cleaning solution. The chemist prepares five
Hundreds of sea turtle hatchlings, instinctively following the bright lights of condominiums, wandered to their deaths across a coastal highway in Florida (Tampa Tribune, Sept. 16, 1990). This
The reliability of a computer system is measured in terms of the life length of a specified hardware component (e.g., the hard disk drive). To estimate the reliability of a particular system, 100
Researchers at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Technical University (Athens, Greece), examined the anticorrosive behavior of different epoxy coatings on steel. (Pigment
Archaeologists plan to perform test digs at a location they believe was inhabited several thousand years ago. The site is approximately 10,000 meters long and 5,000 meters wide. They first draw
Corporate sustainability refers to business practices designed around social and environmental considerations (e.g., “going green”). Business and Society (March 2011) published a paper on how
Refer to Exercise 1.13 (p. 8) and the University of South Florida clinical trial of smokers to compare the effectiveness of CT scans with X-rays for detecting lung cancer. (Today’s Tomorrows, Fall
Refer to Exercise 1.7 (p. 6) and the World Data Centre for Greenhouse Gases collection of weekly carbon monoxide gas measurements at the Cold Bay, Alaska, weather station. The data for 590 weeks for
Seismologists use the term aftershock to describe the smaller earthquakes that follow a main earthquake. Following a major earthquake in the Los Angeles area, the U.S. Geological Survey recorded
Environmental Science & Technology (Jan. 2005) published a study of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) contamination in 223 New Hampshire wells. The data for the wells is saved in the MTBE file.
A new type of screening for lung cancer, computed tomography (CT), has been developed. Medical physicists believe CT scans are more sensitive than regular X-rays in pinpointing small tumors. The H.
Environmental engineers at the University of California (Riverside) are studying the patterns of extinction in the New Zealand bird population. (Evolutionary Ecology Research, July 2003.) The
The properties of natural and cemented sandy soils in Cyprus was investigated in the Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment (Vol. 69, 2010). For each of 20 soil specimens, the following
Checking all manufactured items coming off an assembly line for defectives would be a costly and time-consuming procedure. One effective and economical method of checking for defectives involves the
The World Data Centre for Greenhouse Gases collects and archives data for greenhouse and related gases in the atmosphere. One such data set lists the level of carbon monoxide gas (measured in parts
Researchers have developed a new precooling method for preparing Florida vegetables for market. The system employs an air and water mixture designed to yield effective cooling with a much lower water
In the Journal of Earthquake Engineering (Nov. 2004), a team of civil and environmental engineers studied the ground motion characteristics of 15 earthquakes that occurred around the world. Three (of
The PROMISE Software Engineering Repository, hosted by the University of Ottawa, is a collection of publicly available data sets to serve researchers in building prediction software models. A PROMISE

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