Researchers were interested in the effect of woodsmoke on asthma in children. A group of 18 children, aged 6 to 13, all of whom have asthma, was monitored during the heating season. A simplified version of the experiment might be as follows. For each child total exposure over the season to fine particulate matter in the air is measured. Ten of the children were observed to use inhalers and eight did not. Change in lung function over the study period was measured for each child and the experimenters broke the group of 18 into two groups of 9 at the end of the season: the 9 with the highest total exposure went into one group while the other 9, with the lowest total exposure went into the other group.

Question a) Is this an experiment? Explain. [2 marks]

Question b) Why was the study carried out in this way? [3 marks]

Suppose at the end of the study it is found that it is found that there is no statistically significant difference in change in lung function between the group who used inhalers and those who don't, and that the group of 9 children with the highest exposures had significantly worse change in lung function over the season than the group of 9 with the lowest exposures.

Question c) Explain what the words "statistically significant" mean in this context. [3 marks]

Question d) Can we conclude the inhalers don't work? Explain. [3 marks]

Question e) Can we conclude that high exposure to woodsmoke causes a bigger decrease in lung function than lower exposure? Explain. [3 marks]

Can someone please answer these five questions? They're about statistics, experiment part.