Final answer:
Sampling permits us to make inferences about populations because it is often impractical and expensive to examine an entire population. By taking a representative sample, we can make generalizations about the population based on the characteristics of the sample.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sampling permits us to make inferences about populations because it is often impractical and expensive to examine an entire population. By taking a representative sample, we can make generalizations about the population based on the characteristics of the sample. For example, if we wanted to know the average weight of all high school students in a city, it would be unrealistic to measure the weight of every student. Instead, we can select a random sample of students and calculate the average weight based on that sample.
Sampling is also useful in situations where it may be impossible to measure the entire population. For example, if we wanted to estimate the number of fish in a lake, it would be impossible to count every single fish. By taking a sample of fish and using statistical methods, we can estimate the total population of fish in the lake.
Additionally, sampling allows us to analyze and understand the variability within a population. By examining a sample, we can observe the range of values and patterns, which can inform our inferences about the entire population.