Unit 1 Introduction to business statistics and data collection
1. The process of using sample statistics to draw conclusions about true population Parameters is called
a) statistics inference
b) the scientific method
c) sampling
d) descriptive statistics
2. 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) statistics inference
b) the scientific method
c) sampling
d) descriptive statistics
3. The collection and summarization of the socioeconomic and physical characteristics of the employees of a particular firm is an example of
a) inferential statistics
b) descriptive statistics
c) a parameter
d) a statistic
4. 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
5. The universe or “totality of items or things” under consideration is called
a) a sample
b) a population
c) a parameter
d) a statistic
6. The portion of the universe that has been selected for analysis is called
a) a sample
b) a population
c) a parameter
d) a statistic
7. A summary measure that is computed to described a characteristic from only a sample of the population is called
a) a parameter
b) a census
c) a statistic
d) the scientific method
8. A summary measure that is computed to described a characteristic of an entire population is called
e) a parameter
f) a census
g) a statistic
h) the scientific method
9. 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 country
10. Which of the following is most likely a population as opposed to a statistic?
a) the average score of the first five students completing an assignment
b) the proportion of females registered to vote in a country
c) the average height of people randomly selected from a database
d) the proportion of trucks stopped yesterday that were cited for bad brakes
11. Which of following is not an element of descriptive statistical problems?
a) an inference made about the population based on the sample
b) the population or sample of interest
c) tables, graphs, or numerical summary tools
d) identification of patterns in the data
12. Which of the following is not a reason for the need for sampling?
a) It is usually too costly to study the whole population
b) It is usually too time consuming to look at the whole population
c) It is sometimes destructive to observe the entire population
d) It is always more informative to investigate a sample than the entire population
13. Which of the following is not a reason for drawing a sample?
a) A sample is less time consuming than a census
b) A sample is less costly to administer than a census
c) A sample is usually not a good representation of the target population
d) A sample is less cumbersome and more practical to administer
14. A study is under way in Yosemite National Forest to determine the adult height of American pine trees. Specifically, the study is attempting to determine what factors aid a tree in reaching heights greater than 60 free tall. It is estimated that the forest contains 25,000 adult American pine trees and analyzing the results. 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
15.A study is under way in Yosemite National Forest to determine the adult height of American pine trees. Specifically, the study is attempting to determine what factors aid a tree in reaching heights greater than 60 free tall. It is estimated that the forest contains 25,000 adult American pine trees and analyzing the results. 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 tree in Yosemite National Forest
d) the species of trees in Yosemite National Forest
16. A study is under way in Yosemite National Forest to determine the adult height of American pine trees. Specifically, the study is attempting to determine what factors aid a tree in reaching heights greater than 60 free tall. It is estimated that the forest contains 25,000 adult American pine trees and analyzing the results. 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
17. Most analysts focus on the cost of tuitions as the way to measure the cost of a college education. But incidentals, such as textbook costs, are rarely considered. A researcher at Drummand University wishes to estimate the textbook costs of first-year students at Drummand. To do so, she motioned the textbook costs of 250 first-year students and found their average textbook costs were $300 per semester. 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
18. Most analysts focus on the cost of tuitions as the way to measure the cost of a college education. But incidentals, such as textbook costs, are rarely considered. A researcher at Drummand University wishes to estimate the textbook costs of first-year students at Drummand. To do so, she motioned the textbook costs of 250 first-year students and found their average textbook costs were $300 per semester. Identify the variable of interest to the researcher.
a) the textbook costs 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
19. Most analysts focus on the cost of tuitions as the way to measure the cost of a college education. But incidentals, such as textbook costs, are rarely considered. A researcher at Drummand University wishes to estimate the textbook costs of first-year students at Drummand. To do so, she motioned the textbook costs of 250 first-year students and found their average textbook costs were $300 per semester. Identify the sample in the study.
a) all Drummand University students
b) all college students
c) all first-year Drummand University students
d) the 250 students that were monitored
20. 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 in the spring term. He found that the average of semester unite completed was 12.96 units per student. Identify the population of interest to the researcher
a) all Calendula College students
b) all college students
c) all Calendula College students in the spring
d) all college students enrolled in the spring
21. The average number of units earned per semester by college students is suspected 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 in the spring term. Identify the 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 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
22. Jared was working on a project to look at global warming and accessed an Internet site where he captured average global surface temperatures from 1866. Which of the four methods of data collection was he using?
a) published sources
b) experimentation
c) surveying
d) observation
23. The British Airways Internet site provides a questionnaire that can be answered electronically. Which of the 4 methods of data collection is involved when people complete the questionnaire?
a) published sources
b) experimentation
c) surveying
d) observation
24. The personnel director at a large company studied the eating habits of the company’s employees. The director noted whether employees brought their own lunches t work, ate at the company cafeteria, or went out to lunch. The goal of the study was to improve the food service at the company cafeteria. This type of data collection would best be considered as
a) an observational study
b) a designed experiment
c) a random sample
e) a quota sample
25. Which of the following is a discrete quantitative variable?
a) the Dow Jones Industrial Average
b) the volume of water released from a dam
c) the distance you drove yesterday
d) the number of employees of an insurance company
26. Which of the following is a continuous quantitative variable?
a) the color of a student’s eyes
b) the number of employees of an insurance company
c) the amount of milk produced by a cow in one 24-hour period
d) the number of gallons of milk sold at the local grocery store yesterday
27. To monitor campus security, the campus police department is taking a survey of the number of students in a parking lot during each 30 minutes of a 24-hour period, with the goal of determining when patrols of the lot would serve the most students. If X is the number of students in the lot during each period of time, then X is an example of
a) a categorical random variable
b) a discrete random variable
c) a continuous random variable
d) a statistic
28. Researchers are concerned that the weight of the average American school child is increasing, implying, among other things, that children’s clothing should be manufactured and marketed in larger sizes. If x is the weight of school children sampled in a national study, then X is an example of
a) a categorical random variable
b) a discrete random variable
c) a continuous random variable
d) a statistic
29. The classification of student class designation(freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) is an example of
a) a categorical random variable
b) a discrete random variable
c) a continuous random variable
d) a statistic
30. The chancellor of a major university was concerned about alcohol abuse on her campus and wanted to find out the proportion of students at her university who visited campus bars on the weekend before the final exam week. Her advisor took a random sample of 250 students and computed the portion of students in the sample who visited campus bars on the weekend before the final exam. The portion of all students at her university who visited campus bars on the weekend before the final exam week is an example of
a) a categorical random variable
b) a discrete random variable
c) a continuous random variable
e) a statistic