LABORATORY EXERCISE 5

1. An article in the Journal of the Environmental Engineering Division (Least Squares

Estimates of BOD Parameters, Vol. 106, 1980, pp. 1197-1202) describes the results of
testing a sample from the Holston River below Kingport, TN, during August 1977. The
biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) test is conducted over a period of time in days. The
resulting data is shown below:
Time
(days)
BOD
(mg/liter)

10

12

14

16

18

20

0.6

0.7

1.5

1.9

2.1

2.6

2.9

3.7

3.5

3.7

3.8

a. Find the equation of the best fit

b. Compute for 1) the standard deviation, 2) standard of error of the estimate, and 3)
the coefficient of correlation
2. Find a parabolic curve that would best describe the relationship between the two
variables x and y whose values are shown below:
X
Y

1
2

2
2.8

4
4

6
5

7
5.5

9
6