THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

DEPARTMENT OF STATISTICS AND ACTUARIAL SCIENCE

STAT1600 Statistics: Ideas & concepts
Definitions 1 - population vs sample

1. Select the correct answer for the following multiple choice questions.

(a) The process of using sample statistics to draw conclusions about true popula-
in tion parameters is called ..........................
(A) statistical inference.
(B) the scientific method.
(C) sampling.
(D) descriptive statistics.

ANSWER:
A
(b) Those methods involving the collection, presentation, and characterization of
a set of data in order to properly describe the various features of that set of
data are called ..........................
(A) statistical inference.
(B) the scientific method.
(C) sampling.

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(D) descriptive statistics.

ANSWER: D
(c) The estimation of the population average family expenditure on food based on
the sample average expenditure of 1,000 families is an example of .............................
(A) inferential statistics.
(B) descriptive statistics.
(C) a parameter.
(D) a statistic.

ANSWER:
A
(d) The universe or “totality of items or things” under consideration is called
.........................
(A) a sample. B
(B) a population.
(C) a parameter.
(D) a statistic.

ANSWER:
IN
(e) The portion of the universe that has been selected for analysis is called .................
(A) a sample.
(B) a frame.
(C) a parameter.
(D) a statistic.

ANSWER:
A LI
 S&AS: STAT1600 Statistics: Ideas & Concepts 2

(f) Which of the following statistics is not a measure of central tendency?

平均数中位数 众数都是 (A) arithmetic mean 术平均数 算
1
(B) median
描述centraltendency的
(C) mode
(D) Q3

ANSWER:
D
(g) Which measure of central tendency can be used for both numerical and cate-
gorical variables?
(A) arithmetic mean
(B) median
(C) mode
(D) geometric mean

ANSWER: C
不 resistant
是
四
(h) Which of the arithmetic mean, median, mode, and geometric mean are resistant
measures of central tendency?
(A) arithmetic mean and median only
(B) median and mode only
(C) mode and geometric mean only
(D) arithmetic mean and mode only
ANSWER:
B n
(i) In a right-skewed distribution . . . . . .
(A) the median equals the arithmetic mean
(B) the median is less than the arithmetic mean
(C) the median is larger than the arithmetic mean
(D) none of A-C are correct.

ANSWER:
dB
(j) Which of the following statements about the median is not true?
_
(A) It is more affected by extreme values than the arithmetic mean.
ˋ
(B) It is a measure of central tendency
(C) It is equal to Q2
(D) It is equal to the mode in bell-shaped “normal” distributions.

ANSWER:
A N
(k) In a perfectly symmetrical bell-shaped “normal” distribution . . . . . .
(A) the arithmetic mean equals the median
(B) the median equals the mode
(C) the arithmetic mean equals the mode
(D) All of the above.

ANSWER:
D
 S&AS: STAT1600 Statistics: Ideas & Concepts 3

(l) In a perfectly symmetrical . . . . . .

(A) the极 差 equals the四分
range 位距IQR range.
interquartile
Q3

Qc
(B) the interquartile range equals the arithmetic mean.
(C) the median equals the arithmetic mean.
(D) the variance equals the standard deviation.

ANSWER:

(m) When extreme values are present in a set of data, which of the following de-
scriptive summary measures are most appropriate:

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(A) CV and range
(B) arithmetic mean and standard deviation.
(C) interquartile range and median
的值
样本 (D) variance and interquartile range

ANSWER:
c IN
(n) In general, which of the following descriptive summary measures cannot be
easily approximated from a box-and-whisker plot?
(A) the variance
(B) the range
ˇˇ
(C) the interquartile range

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(D) the median

ANSWER: Aˇ
(o) The smaller the spread of scores around the arithmetic mean . . . . . .
(A) the smaller the interquartile range.
(B) the smaller the standard deviation
(C) the smaller the coefficient of variation
(D) All of the above.

ANSWER:
D
(p) Which descriptive summary measures are considered to be resistant statistics?
(A) The arithmetic mean and standard deviation.
(B) The interquartile range and range.
(C) The mode and variance
(D) The median and interquartile range.

D
ANSWER:

(q) In right-skewed distributions, which of the following is the correct statement?

(A) The distance from Q1 to Q2 is larger than the distance from Q2 to Q3 .
(B) The distance from Q1 to Q2 is smaller than the distance from Q2 to Q3 .
(C) The arithmetic mean is smaller than the median
ˋ
(D) The mode is larger than the arithmetic mean.
ˋ

ˇ
ANSWER:
 11
S&AS: STAT1600 Statistics: Ideas & Concepts 4

(r) In perfectly symmetrical distributions, which of the following is NOT a correct

statement?
(A) The distance from Q1 to Q2 equals the distance from Q2 to Q3 .
(B) The distance from the smallest observation to Q1 is the same as the distance
from Q3 to the largest observation.
(C) The distance from the smallest observation to Q2 is the same as the distance
from Q2 to the largest observation.

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(D) The distance from Q1 to Q3 is half of the distance from the smallest to the
largest observation.

ANSWER: D
(s) In left-skewed distributions, which of the following is the correct statement?
leftskeweddistribution nnnn
(A) The distance from Q1 to Q2 is smaller than the distance from Q2 to Q3 .

_ˋ
(B) The distance from the smallest observation to Q1 is larger than the distance
看图
iii
___
from Q3 to the largest observation.
(C) The distance from the smallest observation to Q2 is smaller than the dis-
tance from Q2 to the largest observation.
(D) The distance from Q1 to Q3 is twice the distance from Q1 to Q2 .

aB
Is
ANSWER:

(t) Which of the following statistics is NOT a measure of central tendency?

(A) The arithmetic mean
(B) The geometric mean
(C) The mode

ANSWER:
p
IN
(D) The interquartile range

(u) Which of the following is NOT sensitive to extreme values?

(A) The range
之
ˊ
(B) The standard deviation
(C) The coefficient of variation a

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(D) The interquartile range

ANSWER:
D
(v) Which of the following is sensitive to extreme values?
(A) The median
(B) The arithmetic mean
(C) The coefficient of variation
(D) The 1st quartile

ANSWER:
131
S&AS: STAT1600 Statistics: Ideas & Concepts 5

2. Select the correct answer for the following multiple choice questions.

(a) A study attempted to estimate the proportion of Florida residents who were
willing to spend more tax dollars on protecting the beaches from environmental
disasters. Twenty-five hundred Florida residents were surveyed. What type of
data collection procedure was most likely used to collect the data for this study?
(A) A designed experiment.
i
(B) A published source.

ˇ
(C) A random sample.
(D)
ˋ Observational data.
ANSWER:

(b) Which of the following is most likely a population as opposed to a sample?

(A) Respondents to a newspaper survey.
(B) The first 5 students completing an assignment.
(C) Every third person to arrive at the bank.
(D) Registered voters in a city.
ANSWER:
D
l n in Yosemite National Forest to determine the adult height
(c) A study is under way
of American pine trees. Specifically, the study is attempting to determine what
factors aid a tree in reaching heights greater than 60 feet tall. It is estimated
that the forest contains 25, 000 adult American pines. The study involves
collecting heights from 250 randomly selected adult American pine trees and
analyzing the results.
(i) Identify the population from which the study was sampled.
(A) The 250 randomly selected adult American pine trees.
(B) The 25, 000 adult American pine trees in the forest.
(C) All the adult American pine trees taller than 60 feet.
(D) All American pine trees, of any age, in the forest.
ANSWER:
(ii) Identify the variable of interest in the study.
(A) The age of an American pine tree in Yosemite National Forest.
(B) The height of an American pine tree in Yosemite National Forest.
(C) The number of American pine trees in Yosemite National Forest.

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(D) The species of trees in Yosemite National Forest.
ANSWER:
(iii) Identify the sample in the study.
(A) The 250 randomly selected adult American pine trees.
(B) The 25, 000 adult American pine trees in the forest.
(C) All the adult American pine trees taller than 60 feet.
(D) All American pine trees, of any age, in the forest.
ANSWER:
S&AS: STAT1600 Statistics: Ideas & Concepts 6

(d) Researchers suspect that the average number of units earned per semester
by college students is rising. A researcher at Calendula College wishes to
estimate the number of units earned by students during the spring semester at
Calendula. To do so, he randomly selects 100 student transcripts and records
the number of units each student earned in the spring term. He found that the
average number of semester units completed was 12.96 units per student.
Identify the population of interest to the researcher.
(A) All Calendula College students.

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(B) All college students.
(C) All Calendula College students enrolled in the spring.
(D) All college students enrolled in the spring.
ANSWER:
c
(e) The average number of units earned per semester by college students is sus-
pected to be rising. A researcher at Calendula College wishes to estimate the
number of units earned by students during the spring semester at Calendula.
To do so, he randomly selects 100 student transcripts and records the number
of units each student earned in the spring term.
Identify the random variable of interest to the researcher.
(A) The number of students enrolled at Calendula College during the spring
term.
(B) The average indebtedness of Calendula College students enrolled in the
spring.
(C) The age of Calendula College students enrolled in the spring.
(D) The number of units earned by Calendula College students during the
spring term.
ANSWER:
(f) Most analysts focus on the cost of tuition as the way to measure the cost of
a college education. But incidentals, such University wishes to estimate the
textbook costs of first-year students at Drummand. To do so, she monitored the
textbook cost of 250 first-year students and found that their average textbook
cost was $300 per semester.
(i) Identify the population of interest to the researcher.
(A) All Drummand University students.
(B) All college students.
(C) All first-year Drummand University students.
(D) The 250 students that were monitored.
ANSWER:
(ii) Identify the variable of interest to the researcher.
(A) The textbook cost of first-year Drummand University students.
(B) The year in school of Drummand University students.
(C) The age of Drummand University students.
(D) The cost of incidental expenses of Drummand University students.
ANSWER:
A
(iii) Identify the sample in the study.
(A) All Drummand UniversityL D students.
(B) All college students.
(C) All first-year Drummand University students.
(D) The 250 students that were monitored.
ANSWER:
IN