Distinguishing a Difference Between Bottled and Tap Water
Stacy L. Moser
U. Maryland U. College
Distinguishing a Difference Between Bottled and Tap Water
Bottled water has become a growing trend in the last decade. People spend a considerable amount of money on an element that comes free from a faucet within their homes. Why would someone choose to spend over $1 for a 12oz bottle of liquid when a cheaper alternative exists? The answer is one word, taste. The flavor of water from a faucet, or spigot, or garden hose, differs greatly from the variety of bottled water for sale. There are many options when selecting water to buy. A consumer has many options when selecting a bottle of water, such as: Spring vs. Purified, where the spring water originates from, water enhanced with electrolytes, flavored varieties, and number of times distilled or purified. With so many possibilities how does one choose? And why choose to purchase bottled water rather than use the alternative? Is there an extreme difference in taste? Most people think the flavor of water varies greatly.
This study has been designed to evaluate the ability of a participant to distinguish between one type of bottled spring water and water from the tap in Jacksonville, FL. The Null Hypothesis (H₀) is that this participant will correctly identify the type of water in each cup (bottled or tap) with 100% accuracy (p=100%). If the participant has an incorrect identification the Alternative Hypothesis (H₁), participant cannot identify type of water with 100% accuracy (p