Stats -- A Few Points . . .

>>> Watch your math. First, be careful with numbers. Make sure you say what you mean, and you mean what you say, and that you understand what you say.

For example, let's look at this passage:

According to the survey, the percentage of today's households with computers has risen 53.6 percent since 1984, with a total of 61.8 percent of people owning computers.

This is a fatal.

How is that? you may say. It went from 8.2 percent in 1984 to 61.8 percent now. The difference is 53.6 percent!

That's because the difference in percentage points is 53.6 percent. But the difference in percentage growth is actually 653.6 percent!

Here's what I mean:

In 1984, 8.2 percent of 100 percent households had computers. If 100 percent is 113.1 million households, that means 8.2 percent is around 9.2 million households.

Today, 61.8 percent of that 113.1 million households have computers. 61.8 percent of 113.1 million is around 69.9 million.

So the percentage increase isn't 8.2 to 53.6; it's roughly 9.2 million to somewhere around 69.9 million. And that's an increase of over 650 percent. If the 9.2 million only went up just over 53 percent, we'd be talking about a total of around 14 million or so.

What I think you meant to say was that the percentage of households with computers has risen 53.67 percentage points. Which it did. But that's not what you said.

If you're not sure, check with your sources to make sure your math is correct and in proper context.

>>> AP Style. It's not 53 %; it's 53 percent, with percent spelled out. C'mon, folks; we've been over that one before.

>>> Who's missing? Three of you did NOT turn in this assignment. If you didn't get a graded copy back from me and you did turn it in, please see me ASAP. If I don't hear from you, you know what your grade will be.