Questions: Which of the following is an example of a parameter? Over 10,000 out of 15,000 citizens in a precinct participate in a special election. Thirty randomly selected teens are asked about their average weekly hours spent on the Internet. Fifty students in first grade have their heights taken to estimate average length. All 450 students attending a school are asked to rank the quality of cafeteria food.

Solution Steps

To determine which of the given scenarios is an example of a parameter, we need to identify the one that involves a measurement of an entire population rather than a sample. A parameter is a value that describes a characteristic of a population.

A parameter is a value that describes a characteristic of an entire population. In contrast, a statistic describes a characteristic of a sample drawn from the population.

1. Over 10,000 out of 15,000 citizens in a precinct participate in a special election.
   • This describes a sample (10,000 out of 15,000).
2. Thirty randomly selected teens are asked about their average weekly hours spent on the Internet.
   • This describes a sample (30 teens).
3. Fifty students in first grade have their heights taken to estimate average length.
   • This describes a sample (50 students).
4. All 450 students attending a school are asked to rank the quality of cafeteria food.
   • This describes the entire population of students at the school (450 students).

The scenario that describes a parameter is the one where the entire population is considered. In this case, it is the scenario where all 450 students attending a school are asked to rank the quality of cafeteria food.

Final Answer