Rachel Hilton

Math 1040 - Introduction to Statistics 

          This project was my favorite one throughout the semester.  I find it incredibly interesting to discover how two random variables relate to one another.  I learned that time can be a factor when finding correlations between years after 1900 and speed records, but that only goes so far.  Once you jump way outside that timeframe, say 2100 or 776 B.C., the correlation no longer applies.

          If I decide to be a nurse, I will be able to approximate a person’s diastolic blood pressure, based off of their systolic reading.  Another application of the correlation coefficient is finding a linear correlation between height and weight for a woman or man.  Height usually has something to do with someone’s weight.  Correlation can tell you how much of a variation to expect in relation to their height.  Of course this is not a flawless method, but it can give you the mean weight of someone, pending on their height.

          This project has made me realize how useful statistics can be in real life applications.  I have always struggled with math, but knowing that it’s not useless and that the knowledge I’ve gained can actually be utilized daily if I just know when to use it makes math worthwhile to me.