Which is an example of a statistical question?
| Questions |
|---|---|
| Question 1 | What percent did Matti score on his English test? |
| Question 2 | What letter grade did each person score on their English test? |
| Question 3 | Who scored the best on their English test? |
| Question 4 | Who scored the worst on their English test? |
Answer (2)
Question 2, "What letter grade did each person score on their English test?", is the statistical question because it anticipates different grades for different people, suggesting variability. The other questions seek specific answers and do not involve data variability.
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Statistical questions expect variability in data.
Question 1, 3, and 4 have single, definitive answers.
Question 2, 'What letter grade did each person score on their English test?' is a statistical question because it anticipates different grades for different people.
The statistical question is:
q u es t i o n 2
Explanation
Identify statistical question We need to identify which of the given questions is a statistical question. A statistical question is one that anticipates variability in the data collected to answer it.
Analyze Question 1 Question 1: "What percent did Matti score on his English test?" This question has a single, definitive answer. There is no variability; Matti has one specific score. Therefore, it is not a statistical question.
Analyze Question 2 Question 2: "What letter grade did each person score on their English test?" This question implies collecting data from multiple people, and their grades are likely to vary. Therefore, this is a statistical question.
Analyze Question 3 Question 3: "Who scored the best on their English test?" This question seeks a single answer: the person with the highest score. There is no variability once the scores are known. Therefore, it is not a statistical question.
Analyze Question 4 Question 4: "Who scored the worst on their English test?" Similar to Question 3, this question seeks a single answer: the person with the lowest score. There is no variability once the scores are known. Therefore, it is not a statistical question.
Conclusion Question 2 is the only question that anticipates variability in the data and requires collecting data from multiple individuals.
Examples
Statistical questions are used in surveys and research to gather information about a population. For example, a researcher might ask, "What is the average height of students in a school?" to understand the distribution of heights within that group. The variability in the responses provides valuable insights.
