Normal Probability Plot - Multiple Choice Question

[Kamunt]

Yes, I've done it again. I've waited until the night before an assignment is due before asking for help yet again. :roll: But anyways, that's not too important right now. Here is the problem:

My problem isn't that I don't know how to solve the problem....well, actually, that's exactly it. But really what my problem is is that I really don't know what the question is asking, so thus, I don't know how to solve the problem. Like, what does the question mean by "clouds"? Does it mean sky clouds, or say, a cloud of seeds/spores? What does silver oxide have to do with the question? How does one "seed a cloud" with silver oxide?

Even once everything is explained to me, I may or may not realize how to complete my assignment, so feel free to help me a bit further if you so choose, but don't feel pressed to do so. I would've asked my AP Stats teacher for help on this today, but she conveniently decided to not come to school today. :? I've used this site several times in the past and you all have helped me out so much and been so courteous. I really appriciate that, and please, keep up the great work!!

 

[stapel]

what does the question mean by "clouds"?

Those fluffy white things in the sky.

What does silver oxide have to do with the question?

It's the chemical used in cloud seeding.

How does one "seed a cloud" with silver oxide?

You might want to try using a search engine, encyclopedia, or meteorology resource for a discussion of the history, science, and techniques involved.

But I don't think that the background information is necessary to answer the statistical questions. Knowing the most-current methods of cloud-seeding won't help you do the least-squares regression, will it...?

Eliz.

 

[JohnM]

Don't worry about the clouds - your first clue is the fact that it is a normal probability plot, which is a graphical method of assessing whether a variable is normally distributed, or "close enough."

If a normal probability plot shows a reasonably straight line (linear), then you can be reasonably sure it's normally distributed.

However, the plot looks very "un-straight" so.....what would that suggest? Read through the answer choices and the correct one should jump out at you.

 

[Kamunt]

Ah, I see now. It's just another one of those wordy word (?) problems. I fell into the trap yet again. Just to be sure, the answer is (a), right? I remember that exponential growth looks most often like a graph of X^2, or another equation similar to it.

Edit:

what does the question mean by "clouds"?

Those fluffy white things in the sky.

 

[JohnM]

The main clue is that the plot is a normal probability plot that is not linear.

If a normal distribution will show up as a straight line, and the pattern is not a straight line, then.....