Question

question 9
in presenting data that result from an experiment, a group of students show that most of their measurements fall on a straight diagonal line on their graph. however, two of their data points are \outliers\ and fall far to one side of the expected relationship. what should they do?

1. do not show these points but write a footnote that the graph represents the correct data.
2. average several trials and therefore rule out the improbable results.
3. show all results obtained and then try to explore the reason(s) for these outliers.
4. throw out this set of data and try again.
5. change the details of the experiment until they can obtain the expected results.

Explanation:

Outliers can distort results. In scientific experiments, it's important to handle them properly. Simply ignoring them (throwing out data) is not good scientific practice. Averaging multiple trials helps reduce random errors but may not deal well with outliers. Showing all results and exploring the reasons for outliers can provide insights into the experiment's validity and possible sources of error. Changing experiment details without proper reason is also not ideal as it may introduce new variables. The best approach is to show all results and investigate the outliers to understand the experiment better.

Answer:

Show all results obtained and then try to explore the reason(s) for these outliers.