A professor wants to determine information about the Internet usage of middle school students in one state. A sample of 500 boys and girls from middle schools across the state were asked, “How do you access the Internet when you are not at school?” Which best explains why the sample can be used to determine statistics that apply to the population?
Answer
A
The sample represents the population.
B
The sample is larger than the population.
C
Each person in the population knows at least one person included in the sample.
D
Each person in the sample has Internet access while they are not at school.
Explanation
A sample can be used to draw conclusions about a population when it represents that population. Since the students were sampled from middle schools across the state, the sample can reflect the state’s middle school students. A sample does not need to be larger than the population, and the other statements do not explain whether it represents the population.
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