Population and Statistical Description

Laboratory Report
Pittsburgh State University
Dr. Hugo Boschmann

Paula Beln Kiese Seiferheld

Biology 113
Asuncin - Paraguay
2016

Introduction
In order to understand the research taken place, certain key points should be comprehend.
Firstly the importance of statistics in biology. Even though Biology main focus is the study of life
and everything life is made of, it is always important to have another science to co-work this. In this
case that science are the Statistics. That is, the study of the information collected as well as the
analysis, interpretation, presentation and the organization of the data. Moreover, the combination of
these two sciences in a single research helps the biologists to prepare experiments with a small
margin of error, verify the conclusion of the experiment and to interpret the results in a more
effective way; making the experimentation more exact and trustworthy.
The purpose of this experiment was to clarify whether the lima beans and the small beans
belong to the same population. Lets remember that population is the organism of the same species
in a particular area. In case they do or do not belong to the same order is to be figured out more into
this paper. The independent variable being the size of the beans while the dependent variable is
what the research is the answer the scientist need to respond, in this case if the lima beans and the
smalls beans in the same family. However, there it was hypothesized that these two types of beans
should not be related, primary because of the differences in the color and the size (Lima beans being
large and green in comparison to the reddish small beans). An educated guess that is to be
confirmed further into the investigation.
Method
For the purpose of clarifying whether the Lima Beans and the Small Beans belonged to the same
family of beans, several instruments were used. Beans: the main focus of this experiment, two types
of beans were gathered; Lima Beans and Small Beans. Ruler: to measure the length of the beans.
Pen: to book the measure of the beans. Calculator: in order to have exact numbers that later on
would serve to determine the similarities between the two beans, several calculation were needed.
Paper: the measure of these beans were annotated in a piece of paper, in this page was also possible

to make the comparison between the two big groups. Sheet of information: the professor was able to
give the students information about the experiment taken place so they can based their project on
key points already stated in this pages. They served as an outline of the project.
After all the materials were collected, it was finally time to put the experiment of movement.
The professor has already measure the length of the beans and annotated them in a table (Fig. 1.1).
What the students did were a series of calculations in order to be able to ind the similitudes and the
differences between the two types of beans.
The calculations made by the students were such that after applying the Students t test
formula, it was possible to determine whether the lima beans and the small beans were family. But
before going into the final result of the experiment, the first steps that led the students to get the
conclusion should be explained. After gathering numerical data of the beans, such as quantity in
each millimeter category (14mm, 15mm and so on) more detailed data was available to get to a
conclusion.
Those calculations are called Measures of Central Tendency (Mean, Median and Mode) and
Measures of Variability (Range, variances and Standard Deviation). Going more into detail about
what the measures of central tendency.
Mean, or mostly known by average; is the most popular measure of central tendency and is equal to
the sum of all the values in the data set divided by the number of values in the data set.

Median, is the middle score for a set of data that has been arranged in order of magnitude. The
median is less affected by outliers and skewed data.
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Mode, it represents the highest bar in a bar chart or histogram, the mode is used for categorical data
where we wish to know which is the most common category

Moreover, there are also three measures of variability

Range, is simply the highest score available minus the lowest score in the chart
Variances, is defined as the average squared difference of the scores from the mean

Standard Deviation, is the square root of the variance

After all these measures were collected, it is time to apply the Students t test, the result of this test
is to determine whether two sets of data are significantly different from each other.

Results
In the table below(Fig. 1.1) are the results of the measurements of the one group of lima beans plus
all the information needed to figure out the Measures of Central Tendency and the Measures of
Variability, they were as explained in table (Fig. 1.2)

Fig 1.1: Measures chart

Length or
width of
beans in
millimeters
(X)

Actual number
of beans of each
measurement
()

(-X)

(X-X)2

(X-X)

(X-X)2

15

30

-5.49

30.1

60.2

16

32

-4.49

20.2

40.2

17

68

-3.49

12.2

48.4

18

108

-2.49

6.2

37.2

19

14

266

-1.49

2.2

30.8

20

19

380

-0.49

0.2

3.8

21

20

420

0.51

0.3

22

21

462

1.51

23

46.2

23

184

2.51

6.2

50.4

24

48

3.51

12.3

26.6

25

25

4.51

20.3

20.3

26

26

5.51

30.4

30.3

Mean: -X = 20.49
100

Total: 396,4

Fig. 1.2; Statistical data

Measures of Central Tendency

Measures of Variability

Mean: 20,49

Range: 2

Median: 21

Variance: 3,964

Mode: 22

Standard Deviation: 1,99

Furthermore, there was a comparison between beans of the same type and beans from another type,
Lima Beans and Small Beans (Fig. 1.2). After all this information about the different type of beans
was gathered, students used the t test to determine whether the type of beans they worked with
were similar to anothers group beans.

Lima Beans
A

Small Beans
C

20,49

20,61

20,27

11,72

12,16

11,9

S.D

1,99

1,67

1,98

1,24

1,04

1,13

Fig 1.3 Comparison chart

Once all groups finished the measurements of their beans and all the numbers were available, they
were put on a chart in the board (Fig 1.3). Later on, every group would compare their beans with
the results of anothers group, either with someone of the same type or from the different species.
So that, the use of the students t test was crucial to determine the final results. To prove that the
Lima Beans were the same population of the Small beans the number after the t test should be
1.96 or less (Fig. 1.4). However, to confirm that the subgroups of Lima Bean belong to the same
family, they should also exist the prove through the students t test (Fig. 1.5)
Formula Students t Test

Result

23,37

Fig 1.4; result of the comparison between Lima Bean group A and Small Beans group B
Formula Students t Test

Result

0,21

Fig 1.5; results of the comparison between Lima Beans group A and Small Beans group C

Conclusion
As a result of the experiment and all the data that was possible to extract of it; the results do
support the hypothesis about the Lima Beans being from a different family of the Small Beans. This
was previously announced in the educated guess when at first sight there exists the possibility to tell
how different both beans are just physically speaking. Furthermore the difference in size and the
values of the charts also demonstrate first hand that those two groups of beans were far from being
related.
But, even thought there were almost obvious results of the main scientific answer about the
relationship of these two species, there should always exist an experiment that proves or deny the
hypothesis. In this case the experiment did support the hypothesis, why? people might think;
because it is common sense, sort of speak, that beans are beans and therefore they should belong to
the same family. That is the way a normal person, with no perception of biology or of the broad
classification about beans they are thinks about. The experiment serve its purpose to prove that
Lima Beans and Small Beans do not belong to the same family of beans.