Simply Surveying
Resources for this lesson:
Key Terms:
Statistical study
Population
Sample
Population parameter
Hypothesis
You will use your Algebra II Journal 
on this page.
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Apply the Model
Allyson and Marissa have completed a statistical study about the average snowfall in the United States. The population they are studying is the states in the United States. A population in a statistical study is the complete set of people or things being studied. The sample they are looking at is the ten states they chose at random to compare to Maryland. A statistical sample is part of the population selected to represent the entire population.
The mean snowfall amount the girls calculated is a sample mean. The population mean and population standard deviation, which are also called a population parameter, were not used in their study. The mean average snowfall amount for the states in the United States is 28.15 inches, with a standard deviation of 27.437 inches.
Algebra II Journal: Reflection 1
Respond to the following reflection questions in your Algebra II Journal and submit to your teacher.
- How does the sample mean for the ten states (39.29 inches) compare to the population mean of 28.15 inches?
- How does the population mean of 28.15 inches compare to the average snowfall of Maryland (20.6 inches)?
- The population standard deviation is 27.437 inches. The sample standard deviation is 30.688 inches. What do these values say about the data?
- Allyson’s hypothesis was that Maryland gets more snow than any other state. Marissa’s hypothesis was that Maryland gets about the same amount of snow as the United States. (A hypothesis is a statement made about the population parameter.) Can either hypothesis be supported by the sample statistics? Use what you know about statistics to justify your answer.
