Probability and Statistics

TOPIC EXAMPLES
Past Project Topics

 

NOTE:  The following is a brief list of subjects students worked in the past. 

 

1.      Traffic Light Cameras:  Do cameras placed at traffic lights to “catch” drivers running red lights decrease, increase, or mark no difference in intersection safety?  Are the lights a tool to raise revenue?  Are the cameras placed at unsafe intersections or intersections where the most funds can be raised?  How do you measure any “intersection safety change”?

 

2.      It is often said that the price of gas goes up in southwest Virginia/northeast Tennessee during “Race Week.”  Does this really happen?  Are there any real changes?  Are any gas price spikes due to the race, regional, or world market pressures?  Are the price changes, if any, the same as those in other parts of the state/country?  Excessive profits or market pressures?

 

3.      Is there development or flight in Southwest Virginia?  What’s the population change?  Is there any development?  Is it consistent with sate-wide and/or national averages?  What pressures does this development or lack of development put on local government, real estate prices, etc.?  Is there any trend in local economies related to development or lack thereof?

 

4.      Is age related to spending?  Do teenagers spend more than 21-35 year olds?  Do those in the 50-60 age group spend less?  What are the spending habits of different ages groups?  Is there a difference between spending habits and/or amounts based on age?

 

5.      Where do people get there news?  Is it from the newspaper, television, or Internet?  How is this changing?  If from television, what percentage of tv viewing time is spent watching the news?  What is “news” to people?  Is there a relationship between age and news viewing/reading habits?

 

These are/were "big" topics. They required much more than one to two weeks to work. Nevertheless, these topics will hopefully inspire you to come up with a topic that is of interest to you. (You are free to use one of the above also, but you must change the score of work required.)