Exploration of Hurricane Data
Question: Is there a relationship between the air pressure in a
tropical storm or hurricane and the wind speed of the storm?
Project Requirements:
1. You will choose 2 prior hurricanes or tropical storms to determine if there is a relationship between the air pressure and the wind speed of the storm. You are to collect data about the storms in a table, graph your data, find the best fit line, and make predictions with your data. Complete the requirements below and where need be, write your answers in complete sentences. Put your data in a neat portfolio with a cover page that states your name, class period, date, and the names of your storms. Your storms must be pre-approved before starting your project to ensure no one chooses the same two storms. They must have at least 15 pieces of data or you can not choose this storm.
2. Go to the website, and choose the location of the 2 storms you would like to use (Atlantic or Pacific Ocean), then choose the year, and then find the storms you would like to use. Using the data from the hurricanes (or tropical storms),print the table of information that contains the position of the hurricane over time, pressure, wind speed and stage for each of your hurricanes.
3. Convert the wind speed from knots to miles per hour (may need to look up how to do this on the internet) and organize at least 15 unique data points into a table that will pair pressure (in mb) and wind speed (in mph). Create separate tables for each hurricane. Identify what is your independent and dependent variables.
4. For each hurricane, plot the data from your pressure and wind speed table on ONE sheet of graph paper. Be sure to label the axes on your graph. Include both hurricanes as two separate scatter plots on ONE graph. Be sure to label which storm is which on your graph. Use colors to distinguish between the two.
5. Find a line of best fit for each of your storms. Be sure to label which is which.
6. Explain what the slopes are representing from your linear equations. Make sure to write in complete sentences, describing the meaning in context of this problem.
7. Explain what the y-intercepts are representing from your linear equations. Make sure to write in complete sentences, describing the meaning in context of this problem.
8. Use each of your mathematical models to determine the wind speeds (in mph) for the following pressure levels: 925, 950, 975, 1000, 1025, and 1050. Explain, in complete sentences, the reasonableness of the predictions.
9. A Category Three Hurricane has winds 111 mph – 130 mph, what range of air pressure would you expect for a hurricane of this force? Support your answer with appropriate algebra calculations. There should be 2 answers here, one for eachof your storms.
10. Is it reasonable to assume that there is a relationship between the air pressure in a tropical storm or hurricane and the wind speed of the storm? Explain, using your correlation coefficients, for each of your storms.
Rubric: Exploration of Hurricane Data
Name ______Date ______
Possible Points / Criteria For Grading / Points Earned5 / Cover Page with name, date, period, topic
(two storms you compared)
5 / Copy of data from website for each storm – preapproved in advance
10 / Table for each storm
Identify independent and dependent variables
10 / Scatter plot on Graph Paper
(axes labeled, title given,storms identified)
5 / Equation of best fit line for each storm
10 / Explanation of slope (complete sentences)
10 / Explanation of y-intercept (complete sentences)
10 / 6 Predictions of wind speed for each equation
10 / Explanation of the reasonableness of the predictions
10 / Given wind speed, calculate pressure for each storm
10 / Focus Question Answered
5 / Project neat, and well organized
with all the above information (rubric included)
100 Points Possible / Total Points
RECOMMENDED TIMELINE
From #1 and #2- Choose 2 storms – get them pre-approved!
- Print the information table off.
- Choose 15 of these points from your printed table, and make your own tables (2 of them, 1 for each storm).
- Convert wind speeds from knots to mph
- Graph on graph paper
- Need title
- Label axis
- Put BOTH storms on one graph, distinguished by color
From #5
- Line of best fit (from calculator)
- Label which is which storm
- Explain slopes (complete sentences)
- Explain y-intercepts (complete sentences)
From #8
- Predictions – for each storm so really 12 answers!
- Reasonableness of prediction – explain!
- Prediction – show math work! 2 answers!
- Answer Focus Question – strong/weak linear relationship?
*Make sure that it is VERY neat (if not typed), in order, and rubric is included!!!