Exam
Name___________________________________
SHORT ANSWER. Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or answers the question.
Provide an appropriate response.
1) Define the terms population, sample, parameter and statistic. How does a census compare
to a sample?
1)
2) Distinguish between categorical and quantitative data. Give an example for each.
2)
3) Define continuous and discrete data and give an example of each.
3)
4) Define and give examples for nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio levels of measurement.
Describe the type of statistics which might be reported for each.
4)
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
Determine whether the given value is from a discrete or continuous data set.
5) The number of freshmen entering college in a certain year is 621.
A) Discrete
B) Continuous
6) The temperature of a cup of coffee is 67.3°F.
A) Discrete
B) Continuous
7) The number of stories in a Manhattan building is 22.
A) Continuous
B) Discrete
5)
6)
7)
8) The total number of phone calls a sales representative makes in a month is 425.
A) Discrete
B) Continuous
8)
Determine which of the four levels of measurement (nominal, ordinal, interval, ratio) is most appropriate.
9) The temperatures of eight different plastic spheres.
A) Ordinal
B) Ratio
C) Nominal
D) Interval
10) The sample of spheres categorized from softest to hardest.
A) Interval
B) Ratio
C) Ordinal
D) Nominal
11) Salaries of college professors.
A) Ordinal
B) Ratio
C) Nominal
D) Interval
12) Survey responses of "good, better, best".
A) Interval
B) Nominal
C) Ratio
D) Ordinal
13) Student's grades, A, B, or C, on a test.
A) Interval
B) Nominal
C) Ordinal
D) Ratio
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
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14) Amount of fat (in grams) in cookies.
A) Ordinal
B) Ratio
14)
C) Interval
D) Nominal
Provide an appropriate response.
15) The table below shows the number of new AIDS cases in the U.S. in each of the years 1989-1994.
Year
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
15)
New AIDS cases
33,643
41,761
43,771
45,961
103,463
61,301
Classify the study as either descriptive or inferential.
A) Descriptive
B) Inferential
Answer the question.
16) A magazine publisher mails a survey to every subscriber asking about the quality of its
subscription service. The total number of subscribers represents what?
A) The population
B) The sample
16)
17) A magazine publisher mails a survey to every subscriber asking about the timeliness of its
subscription service. The publisher finds that only 3% of the subscribers responded. This 3%
represents what?
A) The population
B) The sample
17)
18) An employee at the local ice cream parlor asks three customers if they like chocolate ice cream.
Identify the sample and population.
A) Sample: all customers; population: the 3 selected customers
B) Sample: the 3 selected customers; population: the customers who like chocolate ice cream
C) Sample: the customers who like chocolate ice cream; population: all customers
D) Sample: the 3 selected customers; population: all customers
18)
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Answer Key
Testname: PRACTICE1
1) A population is the complete collection of all elements. A sample is a subset of elements drawn from a population. A
parameter is a numerical measurement describing some characteristic of a population. A statistic is a numerical
measurement describing some characteristic of a sample. A census is the collection of data from every element in a
population; a sample is a subset of a population.
2) Qualitative data can be separated into categories that are distinguished by nonnumeric characteristics. Quantitative
data consist of numbers representing counts or measurements. Examples will vary.
3) Continuous numerical data result from infinitely many possible values that can be associated with points on a
continuous scale so that there are no gaps or interruptions. Discrete data result from either a finite number of possible
values or a countable number of possible values. Examples will vary.
4) Nominal: characterized by data that consist of names, labels, or categories. There is no order to nominal data. Ordinal:
involves data that may be arranged in some order, but differences between data values cannot be determined or are
meaningless. Interval: like ordinal but having meaningful amounts of differences between data, although there is no
inherent zero starting point. Ratio: like interval, but there does exist an inherent zero starting point. For nominal or
ordinal data, we should not calculate averages or variances, but report only percents.
5) A
6) B
7) B
8) A
9) D
10) C
11) B
12) D
13) C
14) B
15) A
16) A
17) B
18) D
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