Review Topics for Success

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

  • Add and subtract real numbers
  • Multiply and divide real numbers
  • Use the order of operations to evaluate expressions involving real numbers
  • Plot points in the coordinate plane

We begin a statistical investigation with a research question. The investigation proceeds with the following steps:

  1. Data collection: determine what to measure, then collect the data
  2. Descriptive statistics: analyze and summarize the data (also called exploratory data analysis)
  3. Inferential statistics: use the data, probability, and statistical inference to draw a conclusion about the population

In Module 2, we focus on summarizing and analyzing data. We call this exploratory data analysis.

In order to apply the techniques of this chapter, it is essential to accurately apply formulas and create graphs. To prepare for this, carefully review operations on real numbers and plotting points in the coordinate plane in this review section.

Recall for success

Look for red boxes like this one throughout the text. They’ll show up just in time to give helpful reminders of the math you’ll need, right where you’ll need it.