Skill: Histograms

In this activity, students use authentic detector data to apply simple 1D kinematics (v=d/t), interpret graphical data, and evaluate measurement uncertainties.

The purpose of this activity is to come to a consensus for the “best” value for the mass of the Z Boson.

This activity is based on the data analysis used for World Wide Data Day,

Students are physicists for a day at a university or lab where they work with physicists to learn how to analyze real particle physics data in the form of event displays.

Students use spreadsheet coding to determine the Z Mass for a large data set.

Students construct histograms, identify the best value to represent the data, and report the uncertainty in their answers. 

Students build basic histogram skills required in many of the other activities in the Data Activities Portfolio.

Students collect data from muons which decay in the MINERvA detector in the Fermilab NuMi beamline to understand particle decay and determine the muon lifetime.

Rolling dice serves as the model for decaying particles.

In this introductory tutorial that, students learn about how to distinguish muon signals from background and instrumental noise.