Biology 300, Biometrics

Homework #1 Key
Answer each question and show intermediate calculations. Please be neat! Do the work with a
hand calculator by yourself. After all, that's the way you'll need to do it during an exam!

Salivary magnesium concentrations (mmol/L) were measured for n = 20 adults:

Salivary Magnesium Concentration (mmol/L)

0.31 0.30 0.18 0.10
0.13 0.11 0.23 0.31
0.32 0.22 0.04 0.29
0.21 0.33 0.32 0.15
0.15 0.25 0.22 0.31

1. Compute the arithmetic mean, geometric mean, harmonic mean, and median for these data to
three decimal places. (6 points)

RANK X X^2 LN(X) 1/X |X-XMEAN|

15 0.31 0.0961 -1.17118 3.2258 0.086
4 0.13 0.0169 -2.04022 7.6923 0.094
18 0.32 0.1024 -1.13943 3.1250 0.096
8 0.21 0.0441 -1.56065 4.7619 0.014
5 0.15 0.0225 -1.89712 6.6667 0.074
14 0.30 0.0900 -1.20397 3.3333 0.076
3 0.11 0.0121 -2.20727 9.0909 0.114
9 0.22 0.0484 -1.51413 4.5455 0.004
20 0.33 0.1089 -1.10866 3.0303 0.106
12 0.25 0.0625 -1.38629 4.0000 0.026
7 0.18 0.0324 -1.71480 5.5556 0.044
11 0.23 0.0529 -1.46968 4.3478 0.006
1 0.04 0.0016 -3.21888 25.0000 0.184
19 0.32 0.1024 -1.13943 3.1250 0.096
10 0.22 0.0484 -1.51413 4.5455 0.004
2 0.10 0.0100 -2.30259 10.0000 0.124
16 0.31 0.0961 -1.17118 3.2258 0.086
13 0.29 0.0841 -1.23787 3.4483 0.066
6 0.15 0.0225 -1.89712 6.6667 0.074
17 0.31 0.0961 -1.17118 3.2258 0.086
SUM: 4.48 1.1504 -32.06580 118.6121 1.460

Sample size: n = 20

Arithmetic mean: x =  X)/n = 4.48/20 = 0.224 mmol/L

Geometric mean: G = exp[( Ln X)/n] = exp[–32.06580/20] = exp[–1.60329] = 0.201233 = 0.201 mmol/L

Harmonic mean: H = n/ (1/X)] = 20/[118.6121] = 0.168617 = 0.169 mmol/L

Median: n=20 is even, so median is average of X-values with ranks n/2 = 20/2 = 10 and 1+n/2 = 1+20/2 = 1+10 = 11.
median = (X10th + X11th)/2 = (0.22 + 0.23)/2 = 0.225 mmol/L
Biometrics Homework #1 Key Page 2

2. Compute the standard deviation, mean deviation, range, and coefficient of variation to three
decimal places. (6 points)

Sample size: n = 20 Arithmetic mean: x = 0.224 mmol/L

Standard deviation: s = Sqrt([( X2) – ( X)2/n] / [n-1])

= Sqrt([1.1504 – (4.48)2/20] / [20-1])
= Sqrt([1.1504 – 20.0704/20] / 19)
= Sqrt([1.1504 – 1.00352] / 19)
= Sqrt(0.14688 / 19) = Sqrt(0.00773053) = 0.0879234 = 0.088 mmol/L

Mean deviation =  |X – x|) / n = 1.460 / 20 = 0.073 mmol/L

Range = Max(X) – Min(X) = X20th – X1st = 0.33 – 0.04 = 0.290 mmol/L

Coefficient of variation: CV = s/x = 0.0879234/0.224 = 0.39252 = 39.3%

3. Compute the 25th, 50th, and 66th percentiles to three decimal places. (3 points)

25th percentile: P=25, n=20, (nP)/100 = (20*25/100) = 500/100 = 5 which is an integer, so k=5 and the
25th percentile is the average of the X-values with ranks k = 5 and k+1 = 6.
25th percentile is is (X5th + X6th)/2 = (0.15 + 0.15)/2 = 0.150 mmol/L

50th percentile: P=50, n=20, (nP)/100 = (20*50/100) = 1000/100 = 10 which is an integer, so k=10 and the
50th percentile is the average of the X-values with ranks k = 10 and k+1 = 11.
50th percentile is (X10th + X11th)/2 = (0.22 + 0.23)/2 = 0.225 mmol/L (same as median).

66th percentile: P=66, n=20, (nP)/100 = (20*66/100) = 1320/100 = 13.2 which is not an integer, so k = int(13.2) = 13 and the
66th percentile is X-value with rank k+1 = 13+1 = 14.
66th percentile is X14th = 0.300 mmol/L
Biometrics Homework #1 Key Page 3

4. Data was collected on the number of lobsters per trap for a fishery off the coast of Maine::

Lobster Catches per Trap

Number of Number of
lobsters per trap traps
0 17
1 23
2 24
3 11
4 5

Compute the mean, median, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation for the number of
lobsters per trap to two decimal places. (5 points)

X f f*X f*X^2 RANKS

0 17 0 0 1-17
1 23 23 23 18-40
2 24 48 96 41-64
3 11 33 99 65-75
4 5 20 80 76-80
SUM: 80 124 298

Sample size: n =  f = 80

Arithmetic mean: x = ( f*X)/n = 124/80 = 1.55 lobsters per trap

Median: n=80 is even, so median is avg. of X-values with rank (n/2)=40 and 1+(n/2)=41.
median = (1+2)/2 = 1.5 lobsters per trap

Std. Dev. = s = Sqrt([ ( f*X2) – ( f*X)2/n ]/[n–1])

= Sqrt([ 298 – (124)2/80 ]/[80–1])
= Sqrt([ 298 – (15376)/80 ]/[79])
= Sqrt([ 298 – 192.2 ]/[79])
= Sqrt(105.8/79)
= Sqrt(1.339241) = 1.157256 = 1.16 lobsters per trap

Coefficient of variation: CV = s/x = 1.157256/1.55 = 0.74662 = 75%