Statistics Chapter 9 Task – Predicting the Weight of Alligators Role: Wil

Statistics Chapter 9 Task – Predicting the Weight of Alligators Role: Wildlife Scientist Audience: Animal Control Department Format: Report with Reference Card Topic: Predicting Weights of Alligators In central Florida, where alligators and humans live in close proximity, it is important to track the locations and sizes of alligators. The animals may be spotted from the air, from a boat, or on land. Wildlife experts can accurately estimate the alligator’s length, but they usually want to know the animal’s weight as well. That’s a little harder to determine, unless you want to be the one who picks up the gator and steps on the scale... To develop a way to estimate the weight of an alligator, the wildlife researchers measured the lengths and weights of 25 captured alligators. Then they used those data to develop a model that would enable them to estimate an alligator’s weight based on its length – something they can guess from a safe distance. Officials hope to use this model to identify alligators that should be relocated because they have grown so large as to pose a threat to humans. Length Weight Your task... (inches) (pounds) 86 83 W Discuss the association between length and weight for these alligators 88 70 W Create the linear model for their data 72 61 W Discuss the appropriateness of this model 74 54 W Create a model that is appropriate for predicting the weight of an 61 44 alligator based on its length 90 106 W Explain why this model is better 89 84 W Discuss the accuracy of your model (look at the size of the residuals; 68 39 small residuals = better accuracy) 76 42 W Create a quick reference card that can be used by Animal Control 114 197 Officers who need to look up the predicted weights of alligators while 90 102 out doing field work. 78 57 94 130 74 51 147 640 58 28 86 80 94 110 63 33 86 90 69 36 72 38 128 366 85 84 82 80

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