Final answer:
In the survey about the belief in global warming evidence, the population is the entire group of U.S. adults, while the sample consists of the 1,500 adults actually surveyed. Sampling allows for representation of a larger population's views through a manageable sample size.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the recent survey where 1,500 adults in the United States were asked about the existence of solid evidence for global warming, and 855 of the adults said yes, the population is the entire group of U.S. adults that the survey aims to understand. The sample refers to the actual group of adults surveyed, which is the 1,500 adults who were asked the question.
Sampling is a technique used to gain insights about a large group (population) by examining a smaller portion of it. Since it is not practical or cost-effective to survey the entire population, a sample size that is representative of the population is chosen. In the context of the survey mentioned, the sample size of 1,500 is considered a reasonable number to draw conclusions about the larger population's belief in global warming evidence.