M & Ms Lab Report

COLOR FREQUENCY OF M&MS

Introduction: The M&Ms were first produced in the early 1940s, when Forrest E. Mars came to the United States from the UK to start a new company, the M&M Limited in New Jersey. He had discovered the candies while at military camps in the UK. Soldiers were eating candy-coated chocolates so they wouldn’t melt in the heat. Mars’ family started the MARS candy bar for troops in World War II, and he extended the practice to the US. Since then, M&Ms have grown to be a classic candy, and a snack for everyone that won’t melt in your hand!

Purpose: The purpose of the lab is to teach the difference between a null, and alternative hypothesis. Through this lesson, students learn through the process what exactly each hypothesis
means, and that they have to choose the hypothesis that was supported through the research done, even if it’s not what they believe is true.

H0: Differences in the number of each color of M&Ms in a given sample are due to chance alone.
H1: Differences in the number of each color of M&Ms in a given sample are not due to chance alone.

Materials and Methods: See lab text.

Results:

Observations: The M&Ms were of six different colors, all with lowercase m’s on one side. The shape of the M&Ms was an oblate spheroid, although several were deformed: they were broken, different sizes, and some were rough. When cracked open, there is a thin candy layer above the milk chocolate. Some layers were slightly thicker than others.

Data Tables:

COLOR FREQUENCY OF M&M SAMPLE

Color
Number in Sample
Group
Percent
Class Average
Company Percent
Red
7
12.8%
7
20%
Blue
8
11.6%
7
24%
Brown
9
16.3%
9
13%
Yellow
7
14.5%
8
14%
Green
17
23.3%
14
16%
Orange
9
21.5%
12
20%
TOTAL
57
100%
57
N/A

Table 1: This table shows the frequency of color in different samples: the number in individual samples, the percent of the group per color, the average per color in class, and the percent the company reported. It suggests that there is a relationship between the different samples and the percent, or number of each color per bag.

COMPARISON OF CLASS EXPERIMENTAL PERCENTAGES IN A GIVEN SAMPLE AND COMPANY-REPORTED PERCENTAGES BY COLOR

Color
Experimental Percentage
Reported Percentage
Red
12.3%
20%
Blue
12.3%
24%
Brown
15.8%
13%
Yellow
14.0%
14%
Green
24.6%
16%
Orange
21.1%
20%

Table 2: This table shows the class average percentage of each color per bag, and the company reported percentage.
It concludes that there is a similarity between the two experiments. Colors orange and yellow we very close to the one another.

Graphs:

COMPARISON OF GROUP PERCENTAGES TO CLASS PERCENTAGES BY COLOR

Fig. 1: This graph shows the group and class percentages compared by color. It illustrates the similarities between the results. Both experiments found like results in the percentages per color.

COMPARISON OF CLASS PERCENTAGES TO COMPANY-REPORTED PERCENTAGES BY COLOR

Fig. 2: Figure two shows the class percentage and the reported percentage. The graph shows a varying difference between the different results. While some of the reported results are higher percentages than the class, others are much lower.

Conclusions: The researcher chooses to reject the null hypothesis. The data shows that a person is more likely to choose some colors over other colors in a random drawing. It is not up to chance alone. It also concludes that the manufacturer wanted generally the same amount of M&Ms per bag, with as little variation as
possible.