Capturing Numbers: A Survey of Phone Photos at Parkersburg High School

That's a great start for collecting data to answer your question. Here are some steps and tips to consider next: 1. **Data Collection**: Make sure to record the responses accurately. You might want to use an online survey tool or a spreadsheet to keep track of the answers. 2. **Descriptive Statistics**: - **Calculate the Mean**: Sum up all the numbers of photos reported and divide by the total number of respondents (250). This gives the average number of photos on each student's phone. - **Find the Median**: Organize the data in ascending order and find the middle value. If you have an even number of responses, calculate the median by averaging the two middle numbers. - **Mode**: Identify the number that appears most frequently among the responses. - **Range**: Subtract the smallest number of photos reported (minimum) from the largest number (maximum). 3. **Distribution and Variability**: - **Histogram**: Create a histogram to visualize the distribution of the number of photos. This will help you see how the data is spread out. - **Standard Deviation**: Calculate the standard deviation to understand how spread out the numbers are from the mean. 4. **Representativeness**: Ensure that your random sample of 250 students is truly representative of the entire student body. Consider factors such as grade level, demographics, and participation in school activities to ensure diversity. 5. **Analyzing Non-Respondents**: Consider if there is any bias from students who did not respond and if it might affect your results. Also, think of how students without camera phones might impact the average. 6. **Conclusions and Presentation**: Once you have all your statistics, compile the data summary and perhaps create a short report or presentation. Include visuals (charts, graphs) to make the findings clear and understandable. 7. **Comparison and Trends**: If possible, compare your findings with similar surveys or studies to get a broader understanding of trends. This process should give you a good understanding of how many photos students at Parkersburg High School typically have on their phones.