pH in Water The acidity or alkalinity of a solution is measured using pH. A pH less than 7 is acidic, while a pH greater than 7 is alkaline. The following data represent the pH in samples of bottled water and tap water. a. Which type of water has more dispersion in pH using the range as the measure of dispersion?

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the data sets for both types of water: Tap water pH values and Bottled water pH values as given in the table.
2. Recall that the range is a measure of dispersion calculated as the difference between the maximum and minimum values in a data set.
3. Find the maximum and minimum pH values for the Tap water samples. The range for Tap water is calculated as \(\text{Range}_{Tap} = \max(\text{Tap pH values}) - \min(\text{Tap pH values})\).
4. Find the maximum and minimum pH values for the Bottled water samples. The range for Bottled water is calculated as \(\text{Range}_{Bottled} = \max(\text{Bottled pH values}) - \min(\text{Bottled pH values})\).
5. Compare the two ranges calculated. The water type with the larger range has more dispersion in pH values.

Key Concepts

Range as a Measure of Dispersion

The range is the difference between the maximum and minimum values in a data set. It provides a simple measure of how spread out the data points are. A larger range indicates greater dispersion, while a smaller range suggests the data points are closer together.

pH Scale and Its Interpretation

The pH scale measures the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, ranging from 0 to 14. Values below 7 indicate acidity, values above 7 indicate alkalinity, and 7 is neutral. Understanding pH helps contextualize the data and its relevance to water quality.

Comparing Dispersion Between Two Data Sets

To compare dispersion between two groups, calculate the range for each and analyze which has the larger spread. This comparison helps determine which group shows more variability in the measured characteristic, such as pH in water samples.