A statistic is a value—usually numerical—that describes a sample.

A statistic is a value—usually numerical—that describes a sample.

• A. Parameter
• B. Population
• C. Statistic
• D. Sampling error

Answer: (C)

A statistic is a numerical value computed from sample data to describe that sample. The statement fits this idea because it names a value that describes the sample, not the entire group. A parameter would describe the population, not the sample. The population is the whole group you’re trying to learn about, while the sample is the subset you actually measure. Sampling error is the gap between a sample statistic and the true population parameter caused by the randomness of sampling, not the description of the sample itself. For example, the average height you calculate from 100 students is a statistic, whereas the true average height of all students is a parameter.

A statistic is a numerical value computed from sample data to describe that sample. The statement fits this idea because it names a value that describes the sample, not the entire group. A parameter would describe the population, not the sample. The population is the whole group you’re trying to learn about, while the sample is the subset you actually measure. Sampling error is the gap between a sample statistic and the true population parameter caused by the randomness of sampling, not the description of the sample itself. For example, the average height you calculate from 100 students is a statistic, whereas the true average height of all students is a parameter.