by Candace Zwick

What is natural gas?  Natural gas is a fossil fuel in the gaseous state which consists mainly of methane. Natural gas must go through a process to remove almost all its materials before it can be used as fuel.

Why I chose my topic?  used everyday  lots of accurate data  raises awareness about the amount of natural gas being used  how it affects global warming

Surprising Statistics on Gas Consumption  the world's largest proven gas reserves are located in Russia, with 4.757×10 13 m³  Russia is the world’s largest natural gas producer (Gazprom company)  the world's largest gas field is Qatar’s offshore North Field estimated to have 25 trillion cubic meters of gas in place  this is enough to last more than 200 years at optimum production levels

Question:  How does the consumption of natural gas in Canada vary throughout the months within ?  independent variable: temperature (per month)  dependent variable: natural gas consumption (m 3 )

Leading up to my hypothesis:  Everyday uses of natural gases:  fuel for cars  home heating  cooking  clothes dryers  power generators  pool heaters  domestic hot water heaters

My Hypothesis is:  More natural gas will be used during the winter months than the summer months. This is because in the winter, people try to keep themselves warm by using furnaces fueled by natural gas. In the summer, the weather is warm and homes do not need to be heated.

Month ( )Temperature (*C)Natural Gas (m 3 ) January ,010,080 February-10 1,950,618 March-4 1,976,414 April6 1,676,833 May13 1,551,382 June18 1,403,677 July21 1,495,381 August20 1,384,638 September15 1,445,269 October9 1,731,596 November2 1,872,842 December-8 2,139,248 January ,147,015 February-10 2,008,400 March-4 1,983,676 April6 1,786,105 May13 1,687,619 June18 1,445,204 July21 1,533,601 August20 1,610,020 September15 1,551,150 October9 1,718,012 November2 1,662,066 December-8 1,788,292

linear regression y= x+2.0x10 06 Mean 1,731,630.75m 3 Median 1,702,815.5m 3 r= (strong) (moderate) (weak) 0 (weak) 0.33 (moderate) 0.67 (strong) 1 Standard Deviation σ= 234,724.45

YearMonthNatural Gas (m 3 ) 2007 January2,010,080 February1,950,618 March1,976,414 April1,676,833 May1,551,382 June1,403,677 July1,495,381 August1,384,638 September1,445,269 October1,731,596 November1,872,842 December2,139, January2,147,015 February2,008,400 March1,983,676 April1,786,105 May1,687,619 June1,445,204 July1,533,601 August1,610,020 September1,551,150 October1,718,012 November1,662,066 December1,788,292

Non-Linear Regression  Quadratic y=ax 2 +bx+c  Mean 1,484,251.08m 3  Median 1,702,816m 3

Sampling Techniques  Simple Random Sampling Sampling Bias  could not be identified

Why I chose Canada as opposed to other countries around the world.  Data may vary in different parts of the world because of:  climate  could be warm all year- Equatorial Areas  could be cold all year- Antarctica  culture  against religion- Mennonites  poverty  not being able to afford natural gas- Haiti

Hidden Variables  climate change throughout Canada  income and financial state of consumers  in the future, global warming could affect the data collected

How to reduce the amount of natural gas being used?  energy conservation  set thermostat to lower temperature and wear warmer clothing  close doors to unused rooms  more efficient windows- use plastic film  use solar energy  laundry  wash laundry in cold water  use clothes lines to dry clothing  use electric clothes dryers  fuel  use biofuels  electric cars  use ethanol blended fuels

Conclusion  therefore my hypothesis was correct  as temperature decreases the gas consumption increases and as temperature increases, gas consumption decreases  this results in a negative correlation  the following video further supports my hypothesis

Bibliography  Energy Sources (2009). In Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved November 16, 2010, from  Harper, D. (Actor). (2008). Natural Gas Futures [Online video]. Retrieved January 9, 2011, from  Natural Gas (2010, ). In Harvest Topworth International. Retrieved January 9, 2011, from  Pfeiffer, D. A. (2009, March 26). Econogics. In Reducing Natural Gas Consumption. Retrieved January 9, 2011, from  Source: Statistics Canada. Table Sales of natural gas, monthly, CANSIM (database), Using E-STAT (distributor). Fi=EStat/English/CII_1-eng.htm (accessed: December 6, 2010) Fi=EStat/English/CII_1-eng.htm  The British Antarctic Study. (n.d.). Natural Gas. Retrieved January 9, 2011, from