When we talk about collecting data in math, it's really important to know the difference between surveys and experiments, especially if you're in Year 11.

Surveys:

• Purpose: Surveys are all about finding out what people think or do.
• Method: You usually collect this information by using questionnaires or talking to people in interviews.
• Data Type: The information can be qualitative (like feelings or opinions) or quantitative (like numbers, such as ratings from 1 to 5 or simple yes/no answers).
• Analysis: You can use statistics to look for patterns and make guesses about what a larger group of people might think.

Experiments:

• Purpose: The goal of experiments is to test ideas and find out how things affect each other.
• Method: Experiments are done in a controlled setting where you change one thing to see how it affects another. For instance, you might change how much sunlight a plant gets to see how that influences its growth.
• Data Type: This data is mostly quantitative, which means you measure things with numbers, like how tall the plant grows in centimeters.
• Analysis: You use statistical methods to figure out if the results are important and if your idea (hypothesis) was correct.

In short, surveys are about gathering opinions, while experiments are about testing and controlling different factors. Each method has its own benefits depending on the type of information you want to learn!