A Poisson distribution is:
A) relevant when we sample from a population with only two types of members.
B) relevant when we perform a series of independent,identical experiments with only two possible outcomes.
C) usually relevant when we are interested in the number of events that occur over a given interval of time
D) the cornerstone of statistical theory
E) All of these choices

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A Poisson distribution is usually used when we are interested in counting the number of events that occur over a given time interval, such as the number of car accidents in a day or the number of phone calls received in an hour. It assumes that the events occur randomly and independently of each other, and that the rate of occurrence is constant over time. It is not relevant for situations with only two types of outcomes or for performing a series of independent, identical experiments. It is also not the cornerstone of statistical theory, although it is an important distribution in probability and statistics.

A Poisson Distribution Is