Understanding the Air through Data Analysis
Ozone levels in three Colorado cities over a week.
Students build on their existing air quality knowledge and a description of a data set to each develop a hypothesis around how and why air pollutants vary on a daily and seasonal basis. Then they are guided by a worksheet through an Excel-based analysis of the data. This includes entering formulas to calculate statistics and creating plots of the data. As students complete each phase of the analysis, reflection questions guide their understanding of what new information the analysis reveals. At activity end, students evaluate their original hypotheses and “put all of the pieces together.” The activity includes one carbon dioxide worksheet/data set and one ozone worksheet/data set; providing students and/or instructors with a content option. The activity also serves as a good standalone introduction to using Excel.
On a daily basis, engineers rely on tools, such as the Microsoft® Excel® spreadsheet application. Typically, data sets are too large or it is too time consuming to conduct the analysis by hand. Similarly, engineers often need to apply concepts from other fields, such as mathematics, in order to move forward in their work. This activity provides students with the opportunity to practice both of these skills. Students must apply their existing scientific knowledge along with mathematic concepts (statistics), and utilize Excel to analyze, interpret and draw conclusions from a data set.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Use Microsoft® Excel® for data analysis, including entering formulas and creating graphs.
- Define statistical terms and plot types.
- Use both scientific knowledge and supporting evidence (that is, statistics and plots) to explain observations related to a data set.