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worksheet

Comparing city temperatures

This table shows average maximum daily temperatures (in °C) for each month in six different cities.
Average maximum daily temperatures (in °C)
I-Q Std
J F M A M J J A S O N D Mean Median Range
range dev.
Sydney 26 26 25 22 19 17 16 18 20 22 24 25 21.7 22 10 6.5 3.45
Albury 31 31 27 22 18 14 13 15 17 21 25 28 21.8   21.5 18 11.5 6.24
Byron Bay 27 28 27 25 22 20 19 20 22 23 25 26 23.7 24 9 5.5 2.95
Thredbo 15 16 14 9 5 2 0 0 3 7 10 14
Canberra 29 28 25 20 16 12 12 14 16 20 24 26
Dubbo 33 32 29 25 20 16 15 17 21 25 29 32
Source: Bureau of Meteorology

1 You will need graph paper or radar chart paper for this question.
a On the same axes (or on a radar chart), draw line graphs illustrating the temperature data for Sydney,
Albury, Byron Bay and Thredbo. Use different colours (or patterns) for each city.
b On another set of axes (or on a radar chart), draw line graphs for Canberra and Dubbo.
2 From the table and the graphs you drew for question 1, which city would you say:
a is the hottest?  _____________________ b is the coldest? _________________________
c has the most consistent pattern of temperatures? _________________________
d has the most varying pattern of temperatures? _________________________
Give reasons for your answers and describe how they are illustrated by the graphs.
 ___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
3 From the table:
a which is the coldest month?  ________________  b  which is the hottest month?  ____________
4 Complete the table by calculating the mean, median, range, interquartile range and standard deviation
for the cities that do not have these provided.
5 Use the calculated statistics to determine which city:
a is the hottest? _____________________ b is the coldest? _________________________
c has the most consistent pattern of temperatures? _________________________
d has the most varying pattern of temperatures? _________________________
Give reasons for your answers. How do they compare with your answers for question 2?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
© Cengage Learning Australia Pty Ltd 2014 MAT10SPWK10037 Statistics and Probability: Data representation and interpretation www.nelsonnet.com.au

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6 a Which two cities are located on the coast? __________________________________________

b What differences do you notice between the pattern of temperatures in coastal cities and inland cities?
Why do you think this is so?   ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
7 a Construct a back-to-back stem-and-leaf plot
for the monthly temperatures in Sydney and
Dubbo.
b Comment on the shape of the distributions for
Sydney and Dubbo.
____________________________
c How does the stem-and-leaf plot illustrate the
differences in climate between the two cities?
____________________________
8 a Construct a double box-and-whisker plot for
the monthly temperatures in Byron Bay and
Thredbo.
b Comment on the shape of the distributions for
Byron Bay and Thredbo.
_____________________________
c How does the box-and-whisker plot illustrate
the differences in climate between the two
cities?
_____________________________
9 Evaluate the following statements, giving reasons for your answers.
a Thredbo’s temperature pattern is much different from that of the other cities, in both average
and spread.  ____________________________________________________________________
b Dubbo has some of the highest monthly temperatures, but it is still not the hottest city on average.
_________________________________________________________________________________
c Canberra and Albury share a similar climate.
_________________________________________________________________________________
d Albury is always hotter than Sydney.
_________________________________________________________________________________
e Compared to the other cities, Sydney’s temperatures are low and do not vary much.
_________________________________________________________________________________

© Cengage Learning Australia Pty Ltd 2014 MAT10SPWK10037 Statistics and Probability: Data representation and interpretation www.nelsonnet.com.au

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Answers
 1 Teacher to check graphs
 2 a Dubbo b Thredbo c  Byron Bay d  Dubbo or Albury
 3 a July b January
 4

Mean Median Range I-Q range Std dev.

Thredbo 7.9 8 16 11.5 5.69
Canberra 20.2 20 17 10.5 5.90
Dubbo 24.5 25 18 12 6.30

 5 a Dubbo b Thredbo c  Byron Bay d Dubbo

 6 a  Sydney, Byron Bay
b  Lower spread of temperatures, not so extreme. Water tends to keep temperatures more even.
 7 a
Sydney Dubbo
9876 1 567
66554220 2 015599
3 223

b  Sydney’s data are positively skewed, Dubbo’s data are symmetrical.

c Sydney’s data has the smaller spread so its temperatures are more consistent.
Sydney does not have scores as high as Dubbo, so its average is lower.
 8 a
21 24 26.5
Byron Bay 19 28
2.5 8 14
Thredbo 0 16

0 10 20 30

b Byron Bay’s data have the smaller spread. Both data sets are fairly symmetrical.
c Byron Bay’s data values are greater, so it is the warmer city. It also has the smaller spread so its
temperature is more consistent.
 9 a  False. Thredbo’s averages are lower, but the spread is not much different.
b  False. It has the highest mean and median.
c  True, although Albury is slightly warmer.
d  False. Not in winter.
e  False. Sydney’s temperatures do not vary much, but Canberra and Thredbo have lower temperatures.

© Cengage Learning Australia Pty Ltd 2014 MAT10SPWK10037 Statistics and Probability: Data representation and interpretation www.nelsonnet.com.au

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