Addy Nardone, Justin Higgins, Molly Thomas, and Jason Liang

Ms. Coley
CHS Statistics
18 January 2019
Walk the Line Project
Data:
# Distance traveled (inches)
1 949 inches
2 280 inches
3 830 inches
4 215 inches
5 1415 inches
6 783 inches
7 1523 inches
8 207 inches
9 368 inches
10 559 inches
11 812 inches
12 548 inches
13 297 inches
14 1172 inches

*Population is normal
Mean of sample ( x ): 711.3
Standard deviation of sample (s): 436.6
The critical value is a 𝑡𝑐 because the sample standard deviation is unknown.

Critical Value: 2.2

1− .95
𝑐 = .95  1 − = .975
2
𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑇(. 975, 13) = 2.160368652

Margin of Error: 252.1

𝑠 436.6111505
𝐸 = 𝑡𝑐 ∙  (2.160368652) ∙ ( ) = 252.091775
√𝑛 √14

Confidence Interval: (459.1939, 963.3775)

Sample mean = x = 711.3
E = 252.1
(711.2857143 – 252.091775, 711.2857143 + 252.091775)
Methods for Data Collection:
We set up this experiment to test how far humans can walk in a straight line without any visual
reference or hearing. These are steps we took to collect our data.
1.) Using painters tape, tape a straight line for 170 feet.
2.) Measuring from the far side of line of tape, measure four feet across. Place another piece of
tape four feet away from the first line for the same length.
3.) Now there should be a 4 foot lane lined with painters tape for 170 feet. Starting at the
beginning of the tape, mark every ten feet on one lane with a pen or pencil along the entire length
of the tape.
4.) Have the subject place ear plugs in their ears, so they cannot hear.
5.) Have the subject step up to the starting line with feet facing straight, so they do not start
crooked.
6.) Have the subjects close their eyes and tie a bandana around their eyes, so they cannot see
anything.
7.) Ask the subject if they can see. If so, re-tie the bandana.
8.) Make no one is talking or making noise. Tap the subject to alert them to start walking. If the
subject is not walking normally, have them start over.
9.) Have one person watch where the subject’s steps one full foot out of the line. Have another
person stop the subject when the trial is completed.
10.) Measure from the back heel of where the subject stepped out to the nearest ten-foot marker
on the tape. Record the value in feet and inches.
11.) Repeat steps 4-10 for more trials.

Variables Considered While Planning:

1.) The amount of noise the subjects could hear. Noise could help the subject stay on track while
walking in the lane, so it is important to eliminate as much noise as possible.
2.) Where the length walked was measured from. The subjects were measured from the back heel
of the first full foot that stepped out of the line. Where the length was measured from could
affect the data values recorded.
3.) How much the subjects could see. Any eye sight could help the subjects walk in a straight
line, so it is important to eliminate the subject’s sight. In the experiment, the subjects were to
close their eyes and put on a blindfold so that they had no eye sight.
4.) How normally the subjects were walking. If the subjects walked abnormally in any way, the
trial was not used and the subject re-started.
5.) Length and width of the lane. These variables were made constant for this experiment, but
they can vary across different experiments. Lengths or widths of different values can affect the
confidence interval.

Conclusion:
Based on the data, it can be concluded with 95% confidence that the population mean walking
distance when using a blind fold and ear plugs falls between 459.1944 and 963.3775 inches,
which is equal to between 38.2662 and 80.2815 feet. The experiment could be improved by
using noise cancelling headphones or ear protection for hunting to make sure that the subjects
could not hear while they walked. A virtual reality headset or blacked out goggles could also be
used to ensure that the subjects could not see at all. The experiment also could be improved by
using a larger sample size, to ensure more accurate results. There are multiple factors that could
have skewed the results of the experiment. It is possible that the blindfold or ear plugs were not
used properly, so some subjects may have been able to see or hear while they walked, even if
they told the testers otherwise. One subject even walked the whole length of the tape, but the
subject admitted that he could see, so his trial was done over. It is also possible that the testers
did not measure to the exact spot where the subjects walked, if the spot was marked correctly,
although that would not have skewed the data very much, assuming that the measure lengths
were still close to the actual spot where the subjects stopped. Outliers did not have to be
accounted for, as using no data values fell outside of Q1-1.5*IQR or Q3+1.5*IQR.