Parameter - Answers A numerical measurement describing some characteristic of a population
Statistic - Answers A numerical measurement describing some characteristic of a sample.
Quantitative Data - Answers Consists of numbers representing counts or measurements.
Qualitative (or categorical/attribute) Data - Answers Can be separated into different categories that are
distinguished by some non-numerical characteristic.
Example:
Marital Status
Are you registered to vote?
Eye Color
(Defined categories or groups)
Discrete Data - Answers Results when the number of possible values is either a finite number or a
"countable" number. (That is, the number of possible values is 0, 1, or 2, and so on)
Example:
In a classroom of 30 children ages range from 9-11.
What is the discrete data in this situation?
When there is a specific, whole number of something that is discrete. Therefore the amount of children
(30) is the discrete data.
Continuous (numerical) data - Answers Result from infinitely many possible values that correspond to
some continuous scale that covers a range of values without gaps, interruptions, or jumps.
Example:
In a classroom of 30 children ages range from 9-11. What is the Continuous data in this situation?
,When there is a range of information it is Continuous. Therefore the age range: 9 to 11 is the continuous
data.
Levels of Measurement - Answers nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio
nominal level of measurement - Answers characterized by data that consist of names, labels, or
categories only, and the data cannot be arranged in an ordering scheme (such as low to high)
Ordinal level of measurement - Answers Data are at the ordinal level of measurement if they can be
arranged in some order, but differences (obtained by subtraction) between data values either cannot be
determined or are meaningless.
Example: Consumer reports magazine rates products as, "Best Buy", "Recommended", and "Not
Recommended". This is an ordinal level of measurement because you can organize these ratings as most
and least recommended.
Interval level of measurement - Answers The interval level of measurement is like the ordinal level, with
the additional property that the difference between any two data values is meaningful. However, data
at this level do not have a natural zero starting point (where none of the quantity is present).
Ratio Level of Measurement - Answers The ratio level of measurement is like the interval level with the
additional property that there is also a natural zero starting point (where zero indicates that none of the
quantity is present). For values at this level, differences and ratios are both meaningful.
Determine whether the given value is a statistic or a parameter. A sample of professors is selected and it
is found that 55 % own a vehicle.
A.) Statistic because the value is a numerical measurement describing a characteristic of a population.
B.) Parameter because the value is a numerical measurement describing a characteristic of a sample.
C.) Statistic because the value is a numerical measurement describing a characteristic of a sample.
D.) Parameter because the value is a numerical measurement describing a characteristic of a population.
- Answers Statistic because the value is a numerical measurement describing a characteristic of a
sample.
Determine whether the data described below are qualitative or quantitative and explain why.
, The styles of shoes of clients entering a certain store (sneaker, boot, sandal, etc.)
A.) The data are qualitative because they don't measure or count anything.
B.) The data are quantitative because they consist of counts or measures.
C.) The data are qualitative because they consist of counts or measures.
D.) The data are quantitative because they don't measure or count anything. - Answers The data are
qualitative because they don't measure or count anything.
State whether the data described below are discrete or continuous, and explain why.
The numbers of children in families
A.) The data are discrete because the data can take on any value in an interval.
B.) The data are discrete because the data can only take on specific values
C.) The data are continuous because the data can take on any value in an interval.
D.) The data are continuous because the data can only take on specific values. - Answers The data are
discrete because the data can only take on specific values
Determine whether the given value is a statistic or a parameter.
A homeowner measured the voltage supplied to his home on 48 random days, and the average (mean)
value is 129.5 volts. - Answers The given value is a statistic for the year because the data collected
represent a sample.
Determine whether the given value is a statistic or a parameter.
A particular country has 45 total states. if the area of 35 states are added and the sum is divided by 35,
the result is 188,512 square kilometers. Determine whether this result is a statistic or a parameter. -
Answers The result is a statistic because it describes some characteristic of a sample.