CSC 239: Personal Computing for Science
Fourth Assignment (Due 11:30pm Monday October 24, 2005)
Assignment
Problem 1
In a standard dissolution test for tablets of a particular drug
product, the manufacturer must obtain the dissolution rate for a batch
of tablets prior to release of the batch. Suppose that the dissolution
test consists of assays for 24 randomly selected individual 25-mg
tablets. For each test, the tablet is suspended in an acid bath and
then assayed after 30 minutes. The result of the 24 assays are given
in the file assay.txt.
Is there significant evidence that the batch of pills has a mean
dissolution rate less than 20 mg (80% of the labeled amount in the
tablets)? Use alpha=0.01.
- Use the work template created in class and this week's lab to compute the result of this
significance test.
- Specify the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis of the test.
- Compute only the appropriate p-value.
- Use an appropriate IF statement to display the results of the test.
- Explain in non-technical words what the result of the test means.
Do all work for Problem 1 on a sheet named TabletData.
Problem 2
A geochemical and oceanographic survey of the inshore waters of
Mombassa, Kenya was undertaken during the period from September 1995
to January 1996. In the survey, suspended particulate matter and
sediment were collected in 37 stations and the lead concentration was
measured. The researchers were interested in determining whether the
average lead concentration was greater than 30 mg/kg dry weight. Data
are given in the file lead.txt.
Is there sufficient evidence in the data that the mean lead concentration exceeds
30 mg/kg dry weight? Use alpha=0.01.
- Specify the null hypothesis and the alternative hypothesis of the test.
- Compute only the appropriate p-value.
- Use an appropriate IF statement to display the results of the test.
- Explain in non-technical words what the result of the test means.
Do all work for Problem 2 on a sheet named LeadData.
Additional challenge
For each problem above, calculate a p-value using the normal
distribution instead of the t-distribution. To do this, you will need
to use the NORMSDIST function in excel, there the z-value is the
t-statistic that you calculated in the work table. Use the same basic
structure as in the work table but use NORMSDIST instead of TDIST.
Also, since the NORMSDIST function can handle negative values, you
won't need to use the ABS function.
Deliverables
Submit your excel workbook using
Course On-Line.
Make sure that text answers are included in your workbook.