Define statistics - Answers Statistics deals with the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation
of data in order to make decisions.
Define Inferential Statistics - Answers Formal methods that use sample data to help make decisions or
predictions about a situation.
Define descriptive statistics - Answers Methods for organizing and summarizing data by using tables,
graphs, and summary measures
Define population - Answers collection of persons, things, or objects whose characteristics are being
studied
Define Sample - Answers portion of population that is being studied
Define element/member - Answers specific subject about which the information is collected
Define parameter - Answers A numerical characteristic of the whole population that can be estimated by
a statistic. If we consider all math classes to be the population, than the average number of points are in
per student over all the math classes is an example.
Define statistic - Answers A numerical measurement that represents a sample. If you randomly select 20
students from the math population than the average number of points earned per student over the
sample is an example.
Define Variable - Answers A characteristic under study. It assumes different values for different
members of the population or sample.
Define Numerical Variables - Answers take on values with equal units, such as weight in pounds in time
in hours
Define categorical variables - Answers place the person or thing into a category
Observation or Measurement - Answers value of a variable for an element
Data - Answers actual values of the variable, they may be numbers or words
quantitative variable - Answers A variable that can be measured numerically
discrete variable - Answers variable whose values are countable. In other words can assume only certain
values with no intermediate values
quantitative continuous variable - Answers variable that is the result of measuring
qualitative/categorical variable - Answers A variable looking out, assume numerical value, but the result
of categorizing, or describing attributes of a population