geography 2390

KWANTLEN POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY Geog 2390 Fall Semester 2023 John E. Martin Quantitative Methods Lab Assignment: Data, Units and Graphs (/46) A: Types of Data In the Excel file Data and Units , the tab MLB HR (MLB home runs), lists home runs hit in the first month of the 2016 MLB baseball season. 1. Fill in the following table with the correct information . (6) Team Inning Speed off bat (mph) Horizontal Angle (degrees) Type of data (or level) Nominal ordinal ratio interval Discrete (D) or Continuous (C) discrete discrete continuous continuous Quantitative or Qualitative qualitative qualitative quantitative quantitative 2a. Briefly explain your answers for Team, Inning and Speed . (b) For which data set(s) from question 2a can you determine the arithmetic mean ? (c) For which data set(s) from question 2a can you determine the mode ? (5)  A) Team is a nominal data because we can count it as in how many teams. It is discrete because it has finite options and can be easily counted and thus is qualitative. Furthermore, Inning is ordinal because it has ordered ranking as in 1st, 2 nd, or 3 rd . It is discrete and qualitative as it has finite options and can be counted easily. Speed is a ratio data type because it cannot be below zero. It starts from 0 and above. It is continuous and quantitative because it can be infinite numbers where it can be measured.  B) Speed can be used to determine the arithmetic mean because it is a quantitative data whereas team and inning are qualitative data.  C) For determining mode all the sets can be used. B: Units and excel functions 1. Using the MLB HR data, convert the distance the ball traveled in feet to meters (note that 1 ft = 0.3048 m). Paste ( paste values and format ) this and questions B1 and B2 into your lab. Distance (m) 122 117 130 129 129 129 128 126

2 126 124 123 122 122 120 119 119 118 117 116 116 116 116 116 115 112 2. Using the MLB HR data, subtract 45.0° from the horizontal angle data to convert the data, such that a hit down the first base line is now 0° and a hit down third base line is now 90°. (3 all) X Horizo ntal angle 63.3 24.1 62.1 48.4 38.3 46 48 33.5 43.5 18.4 24 17.9 36.4 64 27.4 62.7 65.4 28 65.6 67.4 33.1

4 c) This year wildfires caused by humans is 23 and the previous 10 years average of wildfire caused by humans is 581 which is 42%. This means that the stats for this year is not average with the number of fires caused by people in last 10 years. d) The above given data does not indicate the time frame. It does not indicate that the data recorded is until which month that can be confusing to calculate the latest statistical information related to wildfires. 3. Scroll down to see column graphs of fire area, cause and stage below. Note continue to use the fires this year tab. Using the data shown create 1 separate pie charts showing the distribution of each of the 1 categories noted. Be sure your chart is clear and well labelled. (6)  Range of wildfires counted by six fire centers and a total of fire in BC Cariboo Coastal Kamloops Northwest Prince George Southeast All of BC 3a. Give a pro and a con for both types of charts to display this specific fire data. (b) Which does a “better job”? Briefly explain. (4)  Pie chart is clearly comparing all the data, but it is not displaying any numbers of values of the data. Whereas bar graph displays the numbers of values of the data, but it can be very confusing with the complex and too much data information. According to me, bar graph does a better job because we can clearly figure out the numbers of the values just by looking at it which can’t be done with the pie chart. D: Graphing (Wildfire data) In the Excel file Data, Units and Graphs , the tab BC Wildfires , lists wildfires in BC from 2000 to 2022. Note fire season typically runs from April to October in BC. The tab also shows other statistics that may be helpful in this section. 1. Determine the average hectare burned per fire in the column shown (1). X Average Hectares per Fire 75.08883953 527.808136 21.69552239 25.62181818 639.7184695 898.7827051 95.58666667 151.025296 249.2694126 9.8323482

5 61.92965434 19.30168453 201.6441388 80.75032637 6.544735541 18.33125778 54.18871595 35.43852459 92.11278195 107.1787303 4.789119462 7.643759874 11.4834308 2. Create a line (but actually a scatter) graph showing the number of fires and either the total hectares burned or total cost from 2000 to 2022. You will have to use a secondary y-axis (that is a label and axis will appear on both left and right sides of the graph). Be sure your graph is complete. (5)  2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 0 200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000 1,000,000 1,200,000 1,400,000 1,600,000 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 Total fires and total hectares burned in years 2000-2022 Total Hectares Burned Total Fires Years Total Hectares Burned Total Fires 3a. Considering the atmosphere only, why there is such variability between years with respect to fires? Briefly explain. The references below from UBC and ECCC will help you answer the question. (b) What other factor influences fires (hint: look at the data set) in BC? How is the atmosphere linked to these other factors? (6)  E: References Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). 2016. El Nino. https://www.ec.gc.ca/meteo- weather/default.asp?lang=En&n=1C524B98-1&wbdisable=true Globe and Mail. 2016. British Columbia’s wildfire season off to busiest start in a decade (with video). http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/british-columbias-wildfire-season- off-to-busiest-start-in-a-decade/article29684457/