Question

Maggie distributed a survey to the students in 5 homerooms to estimate the percent of students at her high school who are in favor of the new dress code. Identify the population, parameter, sample, and statistic of interest in this situation.

a) Population: Students in Maggie's homeroom
Parameter: Percent of students in favor of the new dress code
Sample: Maggie's homeroom
Statistic: Number of students in favor of the new dress code
b) Population: All students at the high school
Parameter: Percent of students in favor of the new dress code
Sample: Maggie's homeroom
Statistic: Percent of students in Maggie's homeroom in favor of the new dress code
c) Population: All students at the high school
Parameter: Number of students in favor of the new dress code
Sample: Students in Maggie's homeroom
Statistic: Percent of students in Maggie's homeroom in favor of the new dress code
d) Population: Students in Maggie's homeroom
Parameter: Number of students in favor of the new dress code
Sample: All students at the high school
Statistic: Number of students in favor of the new dress code

Answer 1

The correct answer is option b: The population is all students at the high school, the parameter is the percent of students in favor of the new dress code, the sample is the students in the 5 homerooms surveyed by Maggie, and the statistic is the percent of students in the sample in favor of the new dress code.

Step-by-step explanation:

When conducting a survey to estimate the percentage of students in favor of a new dress code, it's important to clearly define the population, parameter, sample, and statistic of interest. In Maggie's survey situation:

• The population refers to all students at the high school, as that is the entire group she wants to draw conclusions about.
• The parameter is the true percent of all those students who are in favor of the new dress code, which is a characteristic of the population.
• The sample includes the students in the 5 homerooms surveyed by Maggie, representing a subset of the population.
• The statistic here is the percent of students from the sample of 5 homerooms that are in favor of the new dress code, which is used to estimate the parameter.

Therefore, the correct answer is option b:

• Population: All students at the high school
• Parameter: Percent of students in favor of the new dress code
• Sample: Students in the 5 homerooms surveyed
• Statistic: Percent of students in the sample in favor of the new dress code