A student reports that, of a simple random sample of 50 college undergraduate students, 21% were taking more than fifteen credit hours. We know that the student has made a mistake (or maybe really did not conduct the survey). Why?
A) There are 50 students in the sample, so percentages should be multiples of 2%.
B) There are 50 students in the sample, so percentages should be multiples of 0.02%.
C) 21% of 50 students is 10.5 students, and you cannot sample a fraction of a student.
D) Both A and C are correct.
E) Both B and C are correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Given a sample of 50 students, the percentage of any subgroup should indeed be a multiple of 2% because 1 student represents 2% of the sample (1/50 = 0.02 or 2%). Additionally, 21% of 50 students equals 10.5, which is not possible since you cannot have a fraction of a student in a real-world sample. Therefore, both A and C are correct, making D the correct choice.

A Student Reports That, of a Simple Random Sample of 50