Question 1

On discovering an improperly adjusted drill press, Jack Joyner, Director of Quality Control, ordered an inspection of every fifth casting drilled during the evening shift.Jack is ordering a ___.

Accepted Answer

Jack Joyner is ordering a sample of the castings to be inspected, specifically every fifth casting drilled during the evening shift. Jack Joyner is ordering a sample of the castings, since he's inspecting every fifth casting drilled during the evening shift. A census would require inspecting every single casting, and sorting would involve categorizing the castings based on some criteria. A statistic or parameter refers to a numerical summary of a population, which is not relevant to what Jack is doing here.

Question 2

A student makes an 82 on the first test in a statistics course.From this, she estimates that her average at the end of the semester (after other tests)will be about 82.This is an example of ___.

Accepted Answer

The student is using the score from one test (a sample) to make an estimate about her overall performance (the population mean) for the semester, which is an example of inferential statistics.

Question 3

On discovering an improperly adjusted drill press, Jack Joyner, Director of Quality Control, ordered a 100% inspection of all castings drilled during the evening shift.Jack is ordering a ___.

Accepted Answer

A census is a complete count of all items in a population, which is what Jack is ordering with the 100% inspection of all castings. A statistic refers to a numerical summary of a sample taken from a larger population, which is not what Jack is ordering. A sample is a subset of a population that is tested in order to make inferences about the characteristics of the larger population, which is not what Jack is ordering. Sorting refers to the process of separating items based on specific criteria, which is not what Jack is ordering. A parameter is a characteristic of a population, which is not what Jack is ordering. Jack is ordering a census, which is a 100% inspection of all castings drilled during the evening shift. A statistic would involve collecting and analyzing data from a sample of the castings, while a sample would only involve inspecting a subset of the castings. Sorting and parameter are not applicable in this context.

Question 4

Pinky Bauer, Chief Financial Officer of Harrison Haulers, Inc., suspects irregularities in the payroll system, and orders an inspection of "each and every payroll voucher issued since January 1, 2013." Pinky is ordering a ___.

Accepted Answer

A census is a complete count or inspection of every individual in a population or group, which is what Pinky Bauer is ordering by inspecting "each and every payroll voucher issued since January 1, 2013." A statistic refers to numerical data describing a sample, which Pinky has not yet selected. A sample would be a subset of the population that is selected for analysis. Sorting would be organizing the vouchers in a specific order, which Pinky has not yet specified. A parameter is a value indicating a characteristic of a population or group, which Pinky is not specifying beyond the date range of the vouchers. Pinky is ordering a census of the payroll vouchers, which means examining every single voucher issued since January 1, 2013. This is the most comprehensive method to detect irregularities in the payroll system. A statistic would involve analyzing numerical data from a subset of the vouchers, which might not reveal the full extent of any problems. A sample would involve analyzing a smaller subset of vouchers, which could miss important irregularities. Sorting the vouchers would involve organizing them in a particular order, which might not reveal any irregularities themselves. A parameter is a numerical characteristic of the population, which is not relevant in this context.

Question 5

Jessica Salas, president of Salas Products, is reviewing the warranty policy for her company's new model of automobile batteries.Life tests performed on a sample of 100 batteries indicated an average life of seven years under normal usage.Jessica recommended a six-year warranty period for the new model.This is an example of ___.

Accepted Answer

Jessica's decision to recommend a six-year warranty period for the new model of automobile batteries is based on the life test results of a sample of 100 batteries. She is using inferential statistics to make an informed decision about the expected life of the batteries in the entire population of batteries to be manufactured. Jessica's recommendation for a six-year warranty period for the new model of automobile batteries is based on the results of a life test performed on a sample of 100 batteries. She is making an inference about the average battery life of the larger population of batteries that will be produced and sold based on the sample data. Therefore, this is an example of inferential statistics.

Question 6

Manuel Banales, Marketing Director of Plano Power Plants, Inc.'s Electrical Division, is directing a study to identify and assess the relative importance of product features.Manuel directs his staff to design a survey questionnaire for distribution to 100 of Plano's 954 customers.For this study, the set of 100 customers is ___.

Accepted Answer

The set of 100 customers that Manuel's staff is surveying is a sample, as it represents a subset of the larger population of Plano Power Plants, Inc.'s customers. The population is defined as the entire group of individuals or objects that the study is focused on, in this case all 954 customers. A parameter is a characteristic of the population, such as the mean or standard deviation, and a statistic is a characteristic of the sample, such as the sample mean or sample proportion. The frame is the list of individuals or objects that make up the population, and in this case would be the list of all 954 customers.

Question 7

Manuel Banales, Marketing Director of Plano Power Plants, Inc.'s Electrical Division, is leading a study to identify and assess the relative importance of product features.Manuel directs his staff to design a survey questionnaire and distribute it 100 of Plano's 954 customers.Manuel is ordering a ___.

Accepted Answer

Manuel is only distributing the survey to a portion of Plano's customers, indicating that he is using a sample of the customers to make inferences about the larger population of customers.

Question 8

Sue Taylor, Director of Global Industrial Sales, is concerned by a deteriorating sales trend.Specifically, the number of industrial customers is stable at 1,500, but they are purchasing less each year.She orders her staff to search for causes of the downward trend by selecting a focus group of 40 industrial customers.For this study, the set of 40 industrial customers is ___.

Accepted Answer

The set of 40 industrial customers is a sample, as it is a smaller subset of the larger population of 1,500 industrial customers. The set of 40 industrial customers selected for the study is a sample. A sample is a subset of the population (in this case, the population of all industrial customers), chosen to represent the characteristics of that population. In this study, the focus group of 40 industrial customers is being used to identify potential causes of the downward sales trend that is impacting the entire population of industrial customers.

Question 9

When a person collects information from the entire population, this is called a ___.

Accepted Answer

When a person collects information from the entire population, this is called a census. A parameter is a numerical measurement describing some characteristic of a population, while a sample is a subset of a population. A population is the entire group of individuals or objects that we want to study, and a statistic is a numerical measurement describing some characteristic of a sample. Therefore, the best choice in this scenario is a census, which involves collecting information from the entire population. When a person collects information from the entire population, it is called a census. A parameter is a characteristic of the population, a sample is a subset of the population, a population is a group of individuals or items of interest, and a statistic is a characteristic of a sample.

Question 10

Marc Fortier, Director of Human Resources, is exploring the causes of employee absenteeism at Lennoxville Bottling during the last operating year.Personnel records for 50 of the plant's 250 employees are selected for analysis.For this study, the group of 50 employees is a ___.

Accepted Answer

The group of 50 employees is a sample because it is a subset of the entire population of 250 employees at Lennoxville Bottling. A parameter refers to a numerical characteristic of a population, while a statistic refers to a numerical characteristic of a sample. A frame is a list of all individuals or objects in a population.

Question 11

Using data from a group to generalize about the whole group involves the use of ___.

Accepted Answer

Inferential statistics involves using data from a sample to make conclusions or predictions about the larger population. This is the process of generalizing about the whole group. Descriptive statistics simply describe the data within a sample or population, while population derivation refers to the process of determining characteristics or parameters of the entire population, which may not always be feasible. Sample persuasion and relative level data are not commonly used terms in statistics.

Question 12

Manuel Banales, Marketing Director of Plano Power Plants, Inc.'s Electrical Division, is directing a study to identify and assess the relative importance of product features.Manuel directs his staff to design a survey questionnaire for distribution to all of Plano's 954 customers.For this study, the set of 954 customers is ___.

Accepted Answer

The set of 954 customers represents the entire group of interest, so it is the population for this study. Parameters are characteristics of the population that are measured, whereas statistics are characteristics of a sample that are measured. Frames refer to the list of all individuals or organizations being studied, which may or may not be identical to the population. Thus, only C accurately describes the set of 954 customers in this context.

Question 13

On discovering an improperly adjusted drill press, Jack Joyner, Director of Quality Control, ordered an inspection of every fifth casting drilled during the evening shift.Less than 1% of the castings were defective, so Jack released the evening shift's production to assembly.This is an example of ___.

Accepted Answer

This is an example of inferential statistics because Jack Joyner used the results from the sample of every fifth casting inspected to make a decision about the entire evening shift's production. This is an example of inferential statistics because Jack Joyner made a conclusion about the entire production based on the inspection of every fifth casting drilled during the evening shift. He inferred that since less than 1% of the castings were defective, the entire production was likely to be good.

Question 14

Pinky Bauer, Chief Financial Officer of Harrison Haulers, Inc., suspects irregularities in the payroll system, and orders an inspection of "every tenth payroll voucher issued since January 1, 2013." Pinky is ordering a ___.

Accepted Answer

Pinky Bauer is ordering a sample of the payroll vouchers, in particular "every tenth voucher issued since January 1, 2013." This is a systematic sampling approach where a subset of the population is selected based on a specific pattern or interval. As such, it is a type of non-random sampling method. Pinky Bauer is ordering a sample of the payroll vouchers, specifically every tenth one issued since January 1, 2013. This is not a complete census of all payroll vouchers, nor is it a calculation of any specific statistic or parameter of the vouchers. It also does not involve sorting the vouchers in any particular way.

Question 15

Marc Fortier, Director of Human Resources, is exploring the causes of employee absenteeism at Lennoxville Bottling during the last operating year (January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019).For this study, the set of all employees who worked at Lennoxville Bottling during the last operating year is ___.

Accepted Answer

The set of all employees who worked at Lennoxville Bottling during the last operating year represents the entire group of interest or population for this study.

Question 16

A salesperson is paid a commission on each sale.This person made $2,000 in their first month on the job.Based on this the salesperson concludes they will make $24,000 during their first year.This is an example of ___.

Accepted Answer

The salesperson is making a prediction or inference about their future earnings based on the data from their first month, which is an example of inferential statistics.

Question 17

Manuel Banales, Marketing Director of Plano Power Plants, Inc.'s Electrical Division, is leading a study to identify and assess the relative importance of product features.Manuel directs his staff to design a survey questionnaire and distribute it to all of Plano's 954 customers.Manuel is ordering a ___.

Accepted Answer

A census involves collecting data from every member of the population, and since Manuel is distributing the survey to all 954 customers, he is conducting a census.

Question 18

Sue Taylor, Director of Global Industrial Sales, is concerned by a deteriorating sales trend.Specifically, the number of customers is stable at 1,500, but they are purchasing less each year.She orders her staff to search for causes of the downward trend by surveying all 1,500 industrial customers.Sue is ordering a ___.

Accepted Answer

Sue is ordering a census of all 1,500 industrial customers, meaning she wants to gather data from every single customer in order to fully understand the trend. A census provides a full and complete picture of the population, unlike a sample which only captures a portion of the population. Sue is ordering a census of all 1,500 industrial customers, as she wants to survey all of them to find out the causes of the downward sales trend. A census collects data from the entire population, which is what Sue is attempting to do in this scenario. A statistic is a numerical representation of a sample or population, which is not what Sue is ordering. A sample would only select a portion of the industrial customers, which would be insufficient for Sue's needs. Sorting and parameter are not applicable to this scenario.

Question 19

Sue Taylor, Director of Global Industrial Sales, is concerned by a deteriorating sales trend.Specifically, the number of customers is stable at 1,500, but they are purchasing less each year.She orders her staff to search for causes of the downward trend by selecting a focus group of 40 industrial customers.Sue is ordering a ___.

Accepted Answer

Sue is ordering a sample of the industrial customers, which is a smaller group selected from the larger population of customers (1,500) in order to gather data and identify the causes of the downward trend in sales. This is different from a census, which would involve gathering data from every single member of the population. A statistic is a numerical summary of the sample data, while a parameter is a numerical summary of the entire population, neither of which apply here. Sorting of the industrial customers is not applicable in this context. Sue's staff is selecting a smaller group (sample) of 40 industrial customers to investigate the causes of the sales trend. A census would involve surveying all 1,500 customers, which would likely be impractical and costly. The other options (A, D, E) don't accurately describe what Sue is ordering.

Question 20

Sue Taylor, Director of Global Industrial Sales, is concerned by a deteriorating sales trend.Specifically, the number of industrial customers is stable at 1,500, but they are purchasing less each year.She orders her staff to search for causes of the downward trend by surveying all 1,500 industrial customers.For this study, the set of 1,500 industrial customers is ___.

Accepted Answer

The set of 1,500 industrial customers represents the entire group of interest, therefore it is the population.

Quiz 1: Introduction to Statistics