ECOMP 6106: Working with Spreadsheets

Earthquake Research and Inquiry-Based Learning
You will be using the EarthBrowser software to gather and analyze data about earthquakes. Then you will create a spreadsheet and graphs from your data.

Because my students do not have access to Microsoft Excel but rather Apple’s equivalent Numbers, I thought it would be prudent to attempt the assignment using the same software students would use. I was able to reproduce almost all aspects of the Jing videos on Excel in Numbers. However, Numbers did seem to be lacking in some of its manipulation options, specifically with angling the earthquake location labels. As a result, I was pretty much locked in to a horizontal bar chart as my only option if I wanted all of the information to be displayed properly. Otherwise, I find I like the ease of Numbers and the sleekness of the finished products.

ECOMP 6106: Working with Databases

InspireData and Roller Coasters
Using the Roller Coasters database that comes with InspireData explore and become familiar with a variety of the software's features. Your job is to come up with ONE question, TWO interesting relationships, and SOME thoughts or explanations for the relationships. Create four different plots of your data and make sure your plots clearly represent your data.


Question: What is the relationship in top speed when comparing steel to wood coasters?

Interesting Relationship #1:  While the two fastest roller coasters were the only two steel-launched coasters in the database, the slowest coaster was also a steel structure (the Cobra).

Interesting Relationship #2:  Besides the slowest and the fastest coaster categories, the rest of the roller coasters surveyed fall in the middle and find themselves in three separate but consolidated groups: the first a combo of wood and steel structures, the second a grouping of four wooden coasters, and the final set an all-steel grouping.

Explanations: 

• It would seem that, when it comes to top speed, steel coasters that have the assistance of being launched are by far superior. While the database does not explain what the difference between steel and steel-launched coasters is, I would theorize that it has something to do with inertia.
• Perhaps the clustering outlined in relationship #2 has something to do with the geographical location of the coasters? Perhaps it may have something to do with where the roller coasters were built and the environmental conditions they must constantly deal with.? However, when the speed variable is compared to the location variable the resulting graph does not appear to support this hypothesis.