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Flip to reveal answersWhat is a population (in statistics)?
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All 9 Flashcards — Populations & samples
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Question
What is a population (in statistics)?
Answer
Every individual or item you want to know about — the whole group the study is about.
Question
What is a sample?
Answer
The part of the population you actually collect data from.
Question
What is a census?
Answer
Data collected from the whole population (everyone).
Question
Give one reason to sample instead of taking a census.
Answer
It is cheaper, faster, or the test is destructive (so a census is impossible).
Question
When is a sample reliable?
Answer
When it represents the population — chosen fairly and large enough.
Question
What is a biased sample?
Answer
One that over- or under-represents part of the population, so its results don't generalise.
Question
Is a bigger sample always better?
Answer
A larger sample helps only if it is chosen fairly; a huge but unfair sample is still biased.
Question
Give a situation where a census is impossible.
Answer
Destructive testing — e.g. measuring how long bulbs last, which destroys each bulb tested.
Question
Difference between a parameter and a statistic?
Answer
A parameter describes the population; a statistic is calculated from a sample and estimates the parameter.
Read the notes
Full study notes for Populations & samples
Topic 4.1 hub
Sampling & reliability
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Math AA SL exam skills
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