Data Handling Coursework

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Maths: Data Handling Coursework

                

Data Handling Coursework

Maths

Aim: To find out what factors affect the car prices and show how these factors affect it.

Introduction: In this investigation I aim to find out the main factors which affect the price of a car. I also aim to find out if there is only one factor or a combination of factors affecting the price of the cars. Firstly I will decide which method I am going to use and which line of enquiry would provide me with the best results. I will include in my investigation all of my explanations, details, tests and theories. I will be using 39 cars either five or six from each make, depending on the availability of the cars for each make. To show my results clearly and make them easy to understand I will be recording my data in tables and expressing the results in various scatter graphs, box and whisker diagrams and cumulative frequency diagrams. The reason for which I am expressing my results in a series of ways is because I will then be able to interpret them easier and so draw conclusions.

Hypothesis: As the age of the car increases the percentage depreciation in the price will also increase, meaning that the price of the car will decrease. The factors that play a major role in the pricing of the car are percentage deprecation, age, status of the car e.g. if it is new or second hand, the engine size, the mileage and finally the make. My first table will show all the factors that I think that will affect the price of the cars. The reason why I have chosen the cars that I have is mainly because they are the ones with the same makes i.e. the ones that there are a lot of from the same make. I have also chosen exclusive cars as I hope this will make the range of my investigation wider.

Plan: I plan to investigate the following factors, the price difference and the percentage depreciation of a brand new car compared to a second hand car. I will go about this by first tabulating my sample, then the difference between the brand new cars and the second hand cars. I will show this by drawing a scatter graph and seeing if there is any difference in the prices. Then I will write down my observations and any trends that I can see. I will use that same method for my age and make investigations. Some limitations that I might face are that I would not know weather the make of the car was to blame for the amount of percentage depreciation. So If I have enough time then I plan to do an extension investigation on just the makes of the cars and how they affect the percentage depreciation.

Table of All the Cars that I Am Going to Use in My Investigation Along With All of the Factors

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First Line of Enquiry: My first line of enquiry is going to be Make. I will go about this by first grouping all my cars up according to there make. Then I will work out there average cost, meaning the average cost of the individual Make. This will basically allow be to compare all the makes average prices and so come up with the most expensive and least expensive makes. I am aware of the disadvantages of this method, as going through with this method will mean that I am giving all the makes a price. But I think ...

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