M&M Project at Masterfoods USA
M & M Project Masterfoods USA put together a team to review the color a proportion of the M&M’s being placed in each 1.69 bag. To ensure that a random sample was obtained, each of the 20 members on the team acquired a bag of M&M’s from three different store locations. Each part of the project utilized the M&M’s obtained to determine if the color proportions are what the company expected to be in the bags. Additionally, the team identified a couple of process that could assist the company in getting the proportions they expect.
Project Part 1: Sampling Method In part one of the M&M Project, the requirements were to go to three different stores to purchase three bags of 1.69 oz. M&M’s. Once the three bags were obtained, the students were to open the bags and count the number of each M&M in each color category; blue, orange, green, yellow, red and brown. The number counts of each color category for each bag were recorded in a spreadsheet. Since each project team member acquired three bags, we then took the information from the personal samples of each student and combined with others to create the full random sample.
Project Part 2: Method, Analysis, Results In part two of the M&M exercise, the project team took the full random sample and calculated the total each of the colors and calculated the sample proportion of the candies. With sixty (60) bags in total, the total results were blue - 689, orange - 765, green - 586, yellow - 458, red - 422, and brown -409. The sample proportion was obtained by taking the total of one color and dividing by the total of all colors (3329). The total sample proportion for each color was blue .207, orange - .2298, green -.176, yellow - .1376, red - .1268, and brown - .1229. In addition to totaling the candies and calculating the sample proportion of each color, a histogram was created. The histogram is a graphical representation of the probability distribution of a given variable depicting the
Project Part 1: Sampling Method In part one of the M&M Project, the requirements were to go to three different stores to purchase three bags of 1.69 oz. M&M’s. Once the three bags were obtained, the students were to open the bags and count the number of each M&M in each color category; blue, orange, green, yellow, red and brown. The number counts of each color category for each bag were recorded in a spreadsheet. Since each project team member acquired three bags, we then took the information from the personal samples of each student and combined with others to create the full random sample.
Project Part 2: Method, Analysis, Results In part two of the M&M exercise, the project team took the full random sample and calculated the total each of the colors and calculated the sample proportion of the candies. With sixty (60) bags in total, the total results were blue - 689, orange - 765, green - 586, yellow - 458, red - 422, and brown -409. The sample proportion was obtained by taking the total of one color and dividing by the total of all colors (3329). The total sample proportion for each color was blue .207, orange - .2298, green -.176, yellow - .1376, red - .1268, and brown - .1229. In addition to totaling the candies and calculating the sample proportion of each color, a histogram was created. The histogram is a graphical representation of the probability distribution of a given variable depicting the
References: Larson, R., & Farber, B. (2009). Elementary statistics: Picturing the world: 2009 custom edition (4th ed.). NJ: Pearson Custom Publishing. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/h/histogram.asp