Comparing distributions with dot plots (example problem) | 7th grade | Khan Academy

TL;DR

Swimmers had faster times, on average, in the finals of the men's 100 meter backstroke at the 2012 Olympics.

Transcript

At the Olympic games, many events have several rounds of competition. One of these is the men's 100 meter backstroke. The upper dot plot shows the times in seconds of the top 8 finishers in the semifinal round at the 2012 Olympics. The lower dot plot shows the times of the same 8 swimmers, but in the final round. Which pieces of information can be ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤒 Swimmers had faster times, on average, in the finals of the men's 100 meter backstroke at the 2012 Olympics.
• 🏊 All 8 swimmers who qualified for the semifinals also advanced to the finals.
• ⌛ The times in the finals exhibited greater variation compared to the times in the semifinals.
• 🏊 There was at least one swimmer who performed worse in the finals compared to the semifinals.
• 🫥 The dot plots provide a visual representation of the performance of the 8 swimmers in both the semifinal and final rounds.
• 👻 The analysis allows for a comparison of the mean times in the two rounds, suggesting improved performance in the finals.
• 🫥 The dot plots help illustrate the distribution of times for each round, showing the range and variability among the swimmers.

Questions & Answers

Q: What information can be gathered from the dot plots?

The dot plots show the times of the top 8 swimmers in the semifinal and final rounds of the men's 100 meter backstroke at the 2012 Olympics. It allows us to compare the performance of these swimmers in both rounds.

Q: Did the swimmers have faster times, on average, in the finals?

Yes, based on the dot plots, it can be observed that the mean time in the finals is less than the mean time in the semifinals. This indicates that, on average, swimmers had faster times in the finals.

Q: Were there any swimmers disqualified from the finals?

No, there were no swimmers disqualified from the finals. Both the semifinal and final rounds had the same 8 swimmers participating.

Q: Did the times in the finals vary more than in the semifinals?

Yes, the times in the finals varied noticeably more compared to the times in the semifinals. In the semifinals, many of the times were clumped together, while in the finals, there was a wider range of times.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The upper dot plot shows the times of the top 8 swimmers in the semifinal round of the men's 100 meter backstroke at the 2012 Olympics.

• The lower dot plot shows the times of the same 8 swimmers in the final round.

• The analysis reveals that swimmers had faster times, on average, in the finals compared to the semifinals.