Question Video: Collecting Data from a Sample vs. a Whole Population Mathematics • Third Year of Preparatory School

Video Transcript

Olivia knows all the families living in her area quite well. She says that she has found out that the average number of children per family is 2.3. Is this figure a sample statistic or a population characteristic?

We recall that a population includes all the elements from a data set. A sample, on the other hand, consists of one or more observations drawn from the population. The keyword in this question is “all” as it states that Olivia knows all the families in her area. She has found out the average number of children per family using the entire population of her area. The correct answer is therefore a population characteristic.