2018 task

2018 REU task:  Thinking about data

This page is part of the 2018 REU application;  it will help us understand how you approach an open-ended problem.  You can download this entire problem here as a pdf file:  2018_reu_task.pdf.  Please enter your response at the application web site.

Pillpic

You have received 75 medicine capsules (sample picture shown) collected in Leogane by a collaborator.  As a first step in evaluating these samples, you open up each capsule, tip out the powder, and weigh it;  the sample numbers and weights are recorded in a list below.  

 

Analyze the information about the pills any way you like.  Explain what you did and what you learned.    

Sample          Mass (g)

15-001           0.2192

15-002           0.2526

15-003           0.2360

15-004           0.3925

15-005           0.2825

15-006           0.2407

15-007           0.2198

15-008           0.2725

15-009           0.2242

15-010           0.2295

15-011           0.3600

15-012           0.2495

15-013           0.2778

15-014           0.2454

15-015           0.2248

15-016           0.2228

15-017           0.2602

15-018           0.3875

15-019           0.2466

15-020           0.4452

15-021           0.3861

15-022           0.3325

15-023           0.2315

15-024           0.4132

15-025           0.2035

15-026           0.2472

15-027           0.2452

15-028           0.3675

15-029           0.2525

15-030           0.4183

15-031           0.2262

15-032           0.3362

15-033           0.2192

15-034           0.3725

15-035           0.2128

15-036           0.2654

15-037           0.2280

15-038           0.2487

15-039           0.4225

15-040           0.2337

15-041           0.4062

15-042           0.2875

15-043           0.2333

15-044           0.3825

15-045           0.2095

15-046           0.2559

15-047           0.2432

15-048           0.4110

15-049           0.2375

15-050           0.2625

15-051           0.3955

15-052           0.2118

15-053           0.2925

15-054           0.3759

15-055           0.3429

15-056           0.2021

15-057           0.2553

15-058           0.2435

15-059           0.4240

15-060           0.2875

15-061           0.3960

15-062           0.3523

15-063           0.2309

15-064           0.4369

15-065           0.2072

15-066           0.1972

15-067           0.3825

15-068           0.2825

15-069           0.2651

15-070           0.3553

15-071           0.2338

15-072           0.4253

15-073           0.4175

15-074           0.2400

15-075           0.2733