Name Date Pd
LINEAR MODELS WINGSPAN vs. HEIGHT
Your wingspan is the distance between your left fingertip and right fingertip if you hold your arms out straight horizontally. In this activity we will compare your wingspan with your height.
1. Measure & record the height and wingspan of each member of your lab team IN CENTIMETERS.
2. Now calculate wingspan divided by height, and record this in the appropriate column.
3. After taking data and recording it in the table, one member of the group should copy the data onto the board. We want to look at the data from the entire class.
4. Record the data from the entire class in your table, and proceed to the attached page to graph it.
Group Member / Height (cm) / Wingspan (cm) / Wingspan ÷ Height (decimal)Use the attached graph paper to graph your data first! Then answer these questions:
1. Look back at your table of data. Do you see any pattern(s) emerging? If so, what pattern(s) do you see?
2. Does your “best-fit line” cross either axis? Where does it cross and what does this mean?
3. An average 3 year-old is about 91 cm tall. Use your best-fit line to predict his wingspan.
4. Ms. Warble’s 5 year-old son has a wingspan of 106 cm. Use your line to find out how tall he is.
5. Write a ratio that is your best estimate for the SLOPE of the best-fit line. Show your numbers below. Divide them on the calculator to get a decimal:
SLOPE = RISE = ______=
RUN
6. Read the Y-INTERCEPT of your best-fit line off your graph and record its value below.
Y-INTERCEPT =
7. Remember ALL LINES have the formula y = mx + b where “m” and “b” represent different numbers. Write the equation for YOUR best-fit line below.
y = ______x + ______
Graphing your Data:
1. Label each axis of your graph. We want height (in cm) on the horizontal or side-to-side axis, and wingspan (in cm) on the vertical or up-and-down axis.
2. Start numbering both axes at ZERO! Then label numbers along each axis, going up by increments that will make it so you can reach the highest values for height and wingspan from the class data.
3. Plot the data.
4. USING A RULER, sketch a “best fit line” that is closing to going through the center of all of your data points.
wingspan vs height graph
KGW version Tolleson summer 2006