Vocabulary

Vocabulary and Examples

Data vs. Statistics

Data is the numbers, measurements, observations that you collect while statistics is what you do with the data by interpreting or organizing it. For example, I record how many people buy pizza from the school which is data. The statistics is when I interpret the data to figure out how many people ordered cheese or pepperoni pizza.

Population vs. Sample

Sample is the subset of the population which is all of the outcomes or responses. For example, the people that live in Mason are the subset of the population of Ohio.

Parameters vs. Statistic

Parameter is a numerical description of a population while a statistic is a numerical description of a sample. For example, there are 850 people in the class of 2013 which is a parameter. However, there are 26 seniors in an English IV class which is a sample of the population making it a statistic.

Descriptive Statistics vs. Inferential Statistics

In descriptive statistics, you will use charts, data, and graphs to organize data. In inferential statistics, you use the charts, data, and graphs to draw conclusions. For example, if I create a line graph comparing how tall a plant grew with and without sunlight for over a year this would be a descriptive statistic. However, if I drew a conclusion that the plant grows well in sunlight then I have an inferential statistic.  

Qualitative Data vs. Quantitative Data

Qualitative data describes the qualities of something and quantitative data describes the numerical aspects of something. For example, qualitative data includes shape and texture while quantitative data is measurements.

Census- Official count of a survey or population. For example, the census of MHS would be 3,500 students.