Understanding Samples and Populations

Which of the following describes a population?

• The 20 students who were selected to participate in a survey from a school

• All students enrolled in a school

Answer explanation

A population refers to the entire group being studied. In this case, 'All students enrolled in a school' represents the complete set, while 'The 20 students who were selected' is just a sample from that population.

Tags

CCSS.7.SP.A.1

CCSS.HSS.IC.A.1

A researcher wants to know the favorite fruit of all sixth graders in Virginia. She surveys 100 sixth graders from different schools in Virginia. What is the 100 sixth graders considered?

• Population

• Sample

Answer explanation

The 100 sixth graders surveyed represent a subset of the entire group of sixth graders in Virginia. Therefore, they are considered a sample, not the entire population.

Tags

CCSS.7.SP.A.1

CCSS.HSS.IC.A.1

Which group represents a sample?

• The 50 cars parked in a shopping mall parking lot

• All cars registered in the state

Answer explanation

The 50 cars parked in a shopping mall parking lot represent a sample because they are a subset of all cars, while all cars registered in the state represent the entire population.

Tags

CCSS.7.SP.A.1

CCSS.HSS.IC.A.1

If a scientist studies all the trees in a national park, what is this group called?

• Sample

• Population

Answer explanation

The group of all trees in a national park is referred to as a 'population.' In scientific terms, a population includes all individuals of a species in a defined area, while a sample is a subset of that population.

Tags

CCSS.7.SP.A.1

CCSS.HSS.IC.A.1

A company wants to know the opinion of its employees about a new policy. They ask only the employees in the marketing department. What is the marketing department considered?

• Sample

• Population

Answer explanation

The marketing department is considered a sample because the company is only gathering opinions from a specific group of employees, not the entire workforce. A population would include all employees.

Tags

CCSS.7.SP.A.1

CCSS.HSS.IC.A.1

Which of the following is a population?

• All the books in the school library

• The 10 most borrowed books in the school library

Answer explanation

A population refers to the entire group being studied. In this case, 'All the books in the school library' represents the complete set, while 'The 10 most borrowed books' is just a sample, making the first choice correct.

Tags

CCSS.7.SP.A.1

CCSS.HSS.IC.A.1

A survey is conducted with 200 randomly selected residents of a city to find out their opinion on public transportation. What is the 200 residents?

• Population

• Sample

Answer explanation

The 200 residents surveyed represent a subset of the larger population of the city. Since they are a selected group used to infer opinions about the entire city's residents, they are classified as a sample.

Tags

CCSS.7.SP.A.1

CCSS.HSS.IC.A.1

Which of the following best describes a population?

• All the sixth grade students in the United States

• The sixth grade students in one classroom

Answer explanation

A population refers to a complete set of individuals or items that share a characteristic. 'All the sixth grade students in the United States' represents the entire group, while 'the sixth grade students in one classroom' is just a sample.

Tags

CCSS.7.SP.A.1

CCSS.HSS.IC.A.1

A scientist collects data from every penguin in Antarctica. What is this group called?

• Sample

• Population

Answer explanation

The group of all penguins in Antarctica is called a population, as it includes every individual of that species in the specified area. A sample would only include a subset of this population.

Tags

CCSS.7.SP.A.1

CCSS.HSS.IC.A.1

A teacher wants to know the average height of students in her school. She measures the height of 30 students from different grades. What is the 30 students?

• Sample

• Population

Answer explanation

The 30 students measured by the teacher represent a sample, as they are a subset of the entire student population in the school. The average height calculated from this sample helps estimate the population's average.

Tags

CCSS.7.SP.A.1

CCSS.HSS.IC.A.1