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Statistics with Gummi Bear Catapults

The importance of accuracy, consistency, repeatability—and your favorite flavor

Cody Steele
Fri, 10/14/2011 - 09:12
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Using candy is a great way to build your confidence with statistics, and there's usually no problem about wasted resources afterward, either. Good quality analysis requires collecting useful data, and that skill takes practice. With the help of gummi bears, we'll try out a cause-and-effect diagram, a tool you can use to help plan your data collection so that you can find out what you really want to know. The most popular form of this tool is known as the fishbone diagram.

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For collecting data, gummi bears have nice properties. Compared to hard, circular candy, they don't bounce or roll very much. I'm grateful to Cobb and Miao for coming up with Bears in Space, which is still one of the most fun ways to use candy to learn statistics.

To do the experiment, you will need:
• 10 gummi bears (more if you want to eat any)
• A tape measure or other convenient device for measuring distance
• A yardstick or other convenient launch ramp
• Two Popsicle sticks
• One pencil
• One rubber band (unless you break it, in which case you'll need more)
• Four thick books

 …

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Comments

Submitted by Susan Ammons on Tue, 10/18/2011 - 17:04

Love the creative approach

I'm always looking for fun training ideas. This is great! Thanks for posting!

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Submitted by Cody_Steele on Wed, 10/19/2011 - 08:20

RE: Love the creative approach

Thanks Susan! I'm convinced that lots of people need statistics to be more fun and less scary, so I try to share ideas like this whenever I can. This series will be continued, but you can also visit the Minitab Blog to see earlier pieces from me and my colleagues!

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Submitted by dbutchko on Fri, 10/21/2011 - 10:46

fishbone diagram

Is it possible to get a larger, legible copy of the detailed fishbone diagram?

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Submitted by Cody_Steele on Mon, 10/24/2011 - 12:24

In reply to fishbone diagram by dbutchko

RE: fishbone diagram

Hi Donna,

I can definitely get you a larger image. I'll send you my email address through a message on Quality Digest.

Best regards,

Cody

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