School of Mathematics and Science, Singapore Polytechnic

MS 6241 Engineering Mathematics II (B): PBL Assignment

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Page 1

Please note the following:

(a) This is a group assignment. There should be at most three students in each group. (b) This assignment is to be completed and handed in to your tutor by Week 18(tutorial

time slot)

(c) Marks will be deducted for late submission.

(d) This assignment contributes 6% to your total grade

The assignment (60Marks):

You are working as columnist in a local newspaper. A couple of days ago, you have received

several letters and emails from readers who are concerned about the amount of Cost-Over-

Valuation (COV). A concerned resident voiced out the following:

“I feel that on the average, the amount paid for COV for a house in our town is way

higher as compared to COV paid for a similar house in a neighbouring town”

Town C Town D

Your manager has asked you to investigate this matter and write an article about it. You have

gathered the data (as shown below). The concerned resident is from Town C. The data

represent the COV paid by random sample buyers of similar houses in Town C and a

neighbouring town, Town D.

COV in Town C ($ in thousands of dollars)

82 81 22 59 71 70 95 46 40 65 60 66

66 75 79 50 62 62 38 47 43 63 42 34

45 62 58 64 83 51 73 49 33 58 48 63

66 68 77 54 74 27 48 49 48 77 57 59

COV in Town D ($ in thousands of dollars)

23 56 43 48 74 64 76 75 70 68 65 75

59 57 69 34 71 88 60 83 75 85 44 62

62 72 86 62 58 64 64 80 57 68 69 80

59 41 65 52 70 74 64 62 52 59 43 55

Part 1: How would you do it?

(i) How would you investigate the statement about the COV in Town C and Town D?

School of Mathematics and Science, Singapore Polytechnic

MS 6241 Engineering Mathematics II (B): PBL Assignment

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Page 2

Part 2: Displaying the data

(i) What types of graph(s) would you choose to display the data? Why?

(ii) Construct the graph(s) for part (i).

(iii) On the basis of what you did in part (b), does it appear that the average COV in Town

C is higher than Town D? Explain.

Part 3: Measuring the data

(i) What statistical measures would you use to analyze the COV in Town C and Town

D?

(ii) Calculate the measures in part (i).

(iii)Compare the measures in part (ii) with the graphs that you have made in Part 2. Do

the measurements support your conclusion in Part 2? Explain.

Part 4: Discussing the Data

(i) What would you tell your reader? Is the COV in Town C higher than Town D?

(ii) What reasons might you give your reader as to why the prices might vary from

one town to another?

Part 5: Preparing an article

In your article, you have to summarize your findings in Parts 1 to 4 to respond to the

concerned reader’s claim. Your article should not be more than 2 pages and the presentation

of your article should be suitable to be printed in the newspaper.