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9.1 ACTIVITY: I’m a Great Free-Throw Shooter!
MATERIALS: Computer with Internet access and projection capability
A basketball player claims to make 80% of the free throws that he attempts. We think he might be
exaggerating. To test this claim, we’ll ask him to shoot some free throws—virtually—using The
Reasoning of a Statistical Test applet at the book’s Web site.
1. Go to www.whfreeman.com/tps5e and launch The Reasoning of a Statistical Test applet.
2. Set the applet to take 25 shots. Click “Shoot.”
How many of the 25 shots did the player make?
Do you have enough data to decide whether the player’s claim is valid? Why or why not?
3. Click “Shoot” again for 25 more shots. Keep doing this until you are convinced either that the
player makes less than 80% of his shots or that the player’s claim is true.
How large a sample of shots did you need to make your decision?
What was the final sample proportion?
4. Click “Show true probability” to reveal the truth.
Was your conclusion correct?
5. Choose a new shooter and repeat Steps 2 through 4. Is it easier to tell that the player is
exaggerating when his actual proportion of free throws made is closer to 0.8 or farther from 0.8?