Questions: UNIT 1 - CHALLENGE 1:1: Statistics
7-Statistics and Parameters
LEARNING OBJECTIVE Distinguish between a statistic and a parameter.
Which of the following is a statistic?
a) Average number of all high school graduates who will pursue a career in the armed forces.
b) The total number of high school students who went to a movie theater over the summer.
c) Average dollar amount spent on concession of 25 random movie goers
d) Standard deviation of tuition costs for all private high schools.
Transcript text: UNIT 1 - CHALLENGE 1:1: Statistics
7-Statistics and Parameters
LEARNING OBJECTIVE Distinguish between a statistic and a parameter.
Which of the following is a statistic?
a) Average number of all high school graduates who will pursue a career in the armed forces.
b) The total number of high school students who went to a movie theater over the summer.
c) Average dollar amount spent on concession of 25 random movie goers
d) Standard deviation of tuition costs for all private high schools.
Solution
Solution Steps
To determine which of the options is a statistic, we need to understand the difference between a statistic and a parameter. A statistic is a numerical value that describes a sample, while a parameter is a numerical value that describes a population. We will identify which option describes a sample rather than a whole population.
Option (a) refers to all high school graduates, which is a parameter.
Option (b) refers to all high school students, which is a parameter.
Option (c) refers to 25 random moviegoers, which is a sample, making it a statistic.
Option (d) refers to all private high schools, which is a parameter.
Thus, option (c) is the statistic.
Step 1: Understanding Statistics and Parameters
In statistics, a statistic is a numerical value that describes a sample, while a parameter describes a whole population. We need to identify which of the given options represents a statistic.
Step 2: Analyzing Each Option
Option (a): Average number of all high school graduates who will pursue a career in the armed forces. This describes a population, hence it is a parameter.
Option (b): The total number of high school students who went to a movie theater over the summer. This also describes a population, making it a parameter.
Option (c): Average dollar amount spent on concession of 25 random moviegoers. This describes a sample of 25 individuals, which qualifies it as a statistic.
Option (d): Standard deviation of tuition costs for all private high schools. This describes a population, thus it is a parameter.
Step 3: Identifying the Statistic
From the analysis, only option (c) describes a sample, making it the statistic we are looking for.