In: Math
1.
Conjectures (educated guesses) about the relationship between smoking and FEV:
a) Smoking leads to rapid decline in Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV).
b) Smoking cessation may reduce FEV decline.
c) Smokers have more FEV decline rates than non-smokers.
2.
Average or mean is the measure of central tendency - one value representing the entire data and sample mean is the point estimate of a parameter (population mean) whereas typical range is a set of values with the average as the center and is the interval estimate of the parameter (population mean). Typical range is formed by using standard deviation, the measure of spread of the data. For Eg., set of values between one std deviation above the mean and one std. deviation below the mean is a typical range.
3.
FEV might be a good variable to measure the effects of smoking on lung function due to the following:
Forced Expiratory Volume(FEV) measures the amount of air a person can exhale during a forced breath. The amount of air exhaled may be measured during the 1st second(FEV1), 2nd second(FEV2) and 3rd second(FEV3) of the forced breath.
FEV is the most important measurement of lung function as it is used to:
a) diagnose obstructive lung diseases such as asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease(COPD). A person who has asthma or COPD has a lower FEV1 result than a healthy person.
b) see how well the medicines used to improve breathing are working.
c) check if lung disease is getting worse. Decline in FEV1 value indicates that the lung disease is getting worse.