Investigation into the length of time which men and women can hold their breath for, after taking a deep breath

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Investigation into the length of time which men and women can hold their breath for, after taking a deep breath



Design and planning

The aim of this project is to compare two sets of data: the lengths of time that women can hold their breath for, having taken a deep breath, and the lengths of time which men can hold their breath for, also having taken a deep breath. I have been given data taken from a large population, which I will have to cut down using sampling methods and then form my own investigation from. The basis of the investigation will be the hypothesis that I have formed myself (read on to see). The details of the data are shown below:

My hypothesis for this investigation is that, “Men who take a deep breath in, can hold their breath for longer than women who take a deep breath in”. Proving this statement will require a range of sampling methods, presentation of data, and statistical calculations, which I will then use to try and interpret, conclude and evaluate the data.

I will try and explain the mathematical and statistical methods used as I go along, in order to show how my conclusions come about and more importantly why they are correct or incorrect etc.

Men who take a deep breath in can hold their breath for longer, than women who take a deep breath in.

This involves comparing two sets of data:

  • A sample of the length of the length of time that the men held their breath after taking a first deep breath (‘Deep1’ - see data details on page1)
  • The same data type, this time for the women


To make any calculations accurate enough to draw a valid conclusion at least 50 sets of data will need to be taken (ideally 25 males and 25 females), this will be my sample. A
random sample would be the fairest way to sample the original data, as it eliminates the possibility of bias. I could use my calculator to give me 50 random numbers which I could use to take my sample. However, I am going to use StatPlus, an add-on in Excel, to do the random sample for me. It basically does the same thing but saves a lot of time.

There are many ways in which I could
represent the data. One way is to draw a box and whisker diagram and make comparisons from that. Another way would be to draw a histogram of the sample, which would help me to look at the distribution of the data in the sample. I have decided to use a box and whisker diagram, which I will draw using StatPlus. I am hoping that the box and whisker diagram will enable me to find out which average(s) I should use to compare the male data with the female data and reach a conclusion, or better still, tell me everything I need to make a conclusion. If not, I will expand the investigation slightly and use other statistical methods to represent the data to help me eventually reach a conclusion.

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The Sample:

This is the random sample of the original set of data. It shows the data for 50 individuals.

As you can see from the table above, the random sample produced a set of data of 21 males (1) and 24 females (2). Even though a sample of 25 males and 25 females would have been ideal, this does not make a difference.

Even though the sample shows all the data types, the only two I am interested in at this point are the sex (1 for male, 2 for female) and the first deep breath (Deep 1 ...

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