CHAPTER THREE

DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS II: NUMERICAL METHODS

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

In the following multiple choice questions, circle the correct answer.

1. A numerical value used as a summary measure for a sample, such as sample

mean, is known as a
a. population parameter
b. sample parameter
c. sample statistic
d. population mean
e. None of the above answers is correct.

2. Since the population size is always larger than the sample size, then the sample
statistic
a. can never be larger than the population parameter
b. can never be equal to the population parameter
c. can never be zero
d. can never be smaller than the population parameter
e. None of the above answers is correct.

3.  is an example of a
a. population parameter
b. sample statistic
c. population variance
d. mode
e. None of the above answers is correct.

4. The mean of a sample

a. is always equal to the mean of the population
b. is always smaller than the mean of the population
c. is computed by summing the data values and dividing the sum by (n - 1)
d. is computed by summing all the data values and dividing the sum by the
number of items
e. None of the above answers is correct.

5. When the smallest and largest percentage of items are removed from a data set
and the mean is computed, the mean of the remaining data is
a. the median
b. the mode
c. the trimmed mean
d. any of the above
e. None of the above answers is correct.

1
6. In a five number summary, which of the following is not used for data
summarization?
a. the smallest value
b. the largest value
c. the median
d. the 25th percentile
e. the mean

7. Since the mode is the most frequently occurring data value, it

a. can never be larger than the mean
b. is always larger than the median
c. is always larger than the mean
d. must have a value of at least two
e. None of the above answers is correct.

Exhibit 3-1
The following data show the number of hours worked by 200 statistics students.

Number of Hours Frequency

0- 9 40
10 - 19 50
20 - 29 70
30 - 39 40

8. Refer to Exhibit 3-1. The class width for this distribution

a. is 9
b. is 10
c. is 11
d. varies from class to class
e. None of the above answers is correct.

9. Refer to Exhibit 3-1. The number of students working 19 hours or less

a. is 40
b. is 50
c. is 90
d. cannot be determined without the original data
e. None of the above answers is correct.

10. Refer to Exhibit 3-1. The relative frequency of students working 9 hours or less
a. is .2
b. is .45
c. is 40
d. cannot be determined from the information given
e. None of the above answers is correct.

11. Refer to Exhibit 3-1. The cumulative relative frequency for the class of 10 - 19

2
 a. is 90
b. is .25
c. is .45
d. cannot be determined from the information given
e. None of the above answers is correct.

12. The 50th percentile is the

a. mode
b. median
c. mean
d. third quartile
e. None of the above answers is correct.

13. The 75th percentile is referred to as the

a. first quartile
b. second quartile
c. third quartile
d. fourth quartile
e. None of the above answers is correct.

14. The lower hinge is essentially the same as the

a. 10th percentile
b. third quartile
c. second quartile
d. 25th percentile
e. None of the above answers is correct.

15. The difference between the largest and the smallest data values is the
a. variance
b. interquartile range
c. range
d. coefficient of variation
e. None of the above answers is correct.

16. The first quartile

a. contains at least one third of the data elements
b. is the same as the 25th percentile
c. is the same as the 50th percentile
d. is the same as the 75th percentile
e. None of the above answers is correct.

17. In computing the hinges for data with an odd number of items, the median
position is included
a. only in the computation of the lower hinge
b. only in the computation of the upper hinge
c. both in the computation of the lower and upper hinges

3
 d. None of the above answers is correct.

18. Which of the following is not a measure of central location?

a. mean
b. median
c. variance
d. mode
e. None of the above answers is correct.

19. If a data set has an even number of observations, the median

a. cannot be determined
b. is the average value of the two middle items
c. must be equal to the mean
d. is the average value of the two middle items when all items are arranged in
ascending order
e. None of the above answers is correct.

20. Which of the following is a measure of dispersion?

a. percentiles
b. quartiles
c. interquartile range
d. all of the above are measures of dispersion
e. None of the above answers is correct.

21. The value which has half of the observations above it and half the observations
below it is called the
a. range
b. median
c. mean
d. mode
e. None of the above answers is correct.

22. The most frequently occurring value of a data set is called the
a. range
b. mode
c. mean
d. median
e. None of the above answers is correct.

23. The interquartile range is

a. the 50th percentile
b. another name for the variance
c. the difference between the largest and smallest values
d. the difference between the third quartile and the first quartile
e. None of the above answers is correct.

4
24. The weights (in pounds) of a sample of 36 individuals were recorded and the
following statistics were calculated.
mean = 160 range = 60
mode = 165 variance = 324
median = 170
The coefficient of variation equals
a. 0.1125%
b. 11.25%
c. 203.12%
d. 0.20312%
e. None of the above answers is correct.

25. The median of a sample will always equal the

a. mode
b. mean
c. 50th percentile
d. all of the above answers are correct
e. None of the above answers is correct.

26. The standard deviation of a sample of 100 observations equals 64. The variance
of the sample equals
a. 8
b. 10
c. 6400
d. 4,096
e. None of the above answers is correct.

27. The variance of a sample of 81 observations equals 64. The standard deviation of
the sample equals
a. 9
b. 4096
c. 8
d. 6561
e. None of the above answers is correct.

Exhibit 3-2
A researcher has collected the following sample data

5 12 6 8 5
6 7 5 12 4

28. Refer to Exhibit 3-2. The median is

a. 5
b. 6
c. 7
d. 8

5
 e. None of the above answers is correct.

29. Refer to Exhibit 3-2. The mode is

a. 5
b. 6
c. 7
d. 8
e. None of the above answers is correct.

30. Refer to Exhibit 3-2. The mean is

a. 5
b. 6
c. 7
d. 8
e. None of the above answers is correct.

31. Refer to Exhibit 3-2. The 75th percentile is

a. 5
b. 6
c. 7
d. 8
e. None of the above answers is correct.

Exhibit 3-3
A researcher has collected the following sample data. The mean of the sample is 5.

3 5 12 3 2

32. Refer to Exhibit 3-3. The variance is

a. 80
b. 4.062
c. 13.2
d. 16.5
e. None of the above answers is correct.

33. Refer to Exhibit 3-3. The standard deviation is

a. 8.944
b. 4.062
c. 13.2
d. 16.5
e. None of the above answers is correct.

34. Refer to Exhibit 3-3. The coefficient of variation is

a. 72.66%
b. 81.24%
c. 264%

6
 d. 330%
e. None of the above answers is correct.

35. Refer to Exhibit 3-3. The range is

a. 1
b. 2
c. 10
d. 12
e. None of the above answers is correct.

36. Refer to Exhibit 3-3. The interquartile range is

a. 1
b. 2
c. 10
d. 12
e. None of the above answers is correct.

Exhibit 3-4
The following is the frequency distribution for the speeds of a sample of automobiles
traveling on an interstate highway.

Speed
Miles per Hour Frequency
50 - 54 2
55 - 59 4
60 - 64 5
65 - 69 10
70 - 74 9
75 - 79 5
35

37. Refer to Exhibit 3-4. The mean is

a. 35
b. 670
c. 10
d. 67
e. None of the above answers is correct.

38. Refer to Exhibit 3-4. The variance is

a. 6.969
b. 7.071
c. 48.570
d. 50.000
e. None of the above answers is correct.

39. Refer to Exhibit 3-4. The standard deviation is

7
 a. 6.969
b. 7.071
c. 48.570
d. 50.000
e. None of the above answers is correct.

40. Which of the following is not a measure of dispersion?

a. the range
b. the 50th percentile
c. the standard deviation
d. the interquartile range
e. the variance

41. The interquartile range is used as a measure of variability to overcome what

difficulty of the range?
a. the sum of the range variances is zero
b. the range is difficult to compute
c. the range is influenced too much by extreme values
d. the range is negative
e. None of the above answers is correct.

42. If the variance of a data set is correctly computed with the formula using n - 1 in
the denominator, which of the following is true?
a. the data set is a sample
b. the data set is a population
c. the data set could be either a sample or a population
d. the data set is from a census
e. None of the above answers is correct.

43. In computing descriptive statistics from grouped data,

a. data values are treated as if they occur at the midpoint of a class
b. the grouped data result is more accurate than the ungrouped result
c. the grouped data computations are used only when a population is being
analyzed
d. all of the above answers are correct
e. None of the above answers is correct.

44. The measure of dispersion that is influenced most by extreme values is

a. the variance
b. the standard deviation
c. the range
d. the interquartile range
e. None of the above answers is correct.

45. When should measures of location and dispersion be computed from grouped data
rather than from individual data values?

8
 a. as much as possible since computations are easier
b. only when individual data values are unavailable
c. whenever computer packages for descriptive statistics are unavailable
d. only when the data are from a population
e. None of the above answers is correct.

46. The descriptive measure of dispersion that is based on the concept of a deviation
about the mean is
a. the range
b. the interquartile range
c. both a and b
d. the standard deviation
e. None of the above answers is correct.

47. The measure of location which is the most likely to be influenced by extreme
values in the data set is the
a. range
b. median
c. mode
d. mean
e. None of the above answers is correct.

48. The most important statistical descriptive measure of the location of a data set is
the
a. mean
b. median
c. mode
d. variance
e. None of the above answers is correct.

49. The numerical value of the standard deviation can never be

a. larger than the variance
b. zero
c. negative
d. all of the above statements are correct
e. None of the above answers is correct.

50. The sample variance

a. is always smaller than the true value of the population variance
b. is always larger than the true value of the population variance
c. could be smaller, equal to, or larger than the true value of the population
variance
d. can never be zero
e. both c and d are correct answers

51. The coefficient of variation is

9
 a. the same as the variance
b. the square root of the variance
c. the square of the standard deviation
d. the mean divided by the standard deviation
e. None of the above answers is correct.

52. The variance can never be

a. zero
b. larger than the standard deviation
c. negative
d. all of the above are correct
e. None of the above answers is correct.

53. If two groups of numbers have the same mean, then

a. their standard deviations must also be equal
b. their medians must also be equal
c. their modes must also be equal
d. their variances must also be equal
e. None of the above answers is correct.

54. The sum of deviations of the individual data elements from their mean is
a. always greater than zero
b. always less than zero
c. sometimes greater than and sometimes less than zero, depending on the data
elements
d. always equal to zero
e. None of the above answers is correct.

55. Which of the following symbols represents the standard deviation of the
population?
a. 2
b. 
c. 
d. x
e. N

56. Which of the following symbols represents the mean of the population?
a. 2
b. 
c. 
d. x
e. N

57. Which of the following symbols represents the variance of the population?
a. 2
b. 

10
 c. 
d. x
e. N

58. Which of the following symbols represents the size of the population?
a. 2
b. 
c. 
d. x
e. N

59. Which of the following symbols represents the mean of the sample?
a. 2
b. 
c. 
d. x
e. N

60. Which of the following symbols represents the size of the sample
a. 2
b. 
c. N
d. x
e. n

61. The symbol  is used to represent

a. the variance of the population
b. the standard deviation of the sample
c. the standard deviation of the population
d. the variance of the sample
e. None of the above answers is correct.

62. The symbol 2 is used to represent

a. the variance of the population
b. the standard deviation of the sample
c. the standard deviation of the population
d. the variance of the sample
e. None of the above answers is correct.

63. The mean of the sample

a. is always larger than the mean of the population from which the sample was
taken
b. is always smaller than the mean of the population from which the sample was
taken
c. can never be zero

11
 d. can never be negative
e. None of the above answers is correct.

64. The variance of the sample

a. can never be negative
b. can be negative
c. cannot be zero
d. cannot be less than one
e. None of the above answers is correct.

65. The measure of dispersion which is not measured in the same units as the original
data is the
a. median
b. standard deviation
c. coefficient of determination
d. variance
e. None of the above answers is correct.

66. A numerical measure of linear association between two variables is the

a. variance
b. covariance
c. standard deviation
d. coefficient of variation
e. None of the above answers is correct.

67. Positive values of covariance indicate

a. a positive variance of the x values
b. a positive variance of the y values
c. the standard deviation is positive
d. positive relation between the independent and the dependent variables
e. None of the above answers is correct.

68. A numerical measure of linear association between two variables is the

a. variance
b. coefficient of variation
c. correlation coefficient
d. standard deviation
e. None of the above answers is correct.

69. The coefficient of correlation ranges between

a. 0 and 1
b. -1 and +1
c. minus infinity and plus infinity
d. 1 and 100
e. None of the above answers is correct.

12
70. The coefficient of correlation
a. is the same as the coefficient of determination
b. can be larger than 1
c. can not be larger than 1
d. can not be negative
e. None of the above answers is correct.

71. The value of the sum of the deviations from the mean, i.e.,  (x  x ) must
always be
a. less than the mean
b. negative
c. either positive or negative depending on whether the mean is negative or
positive
d. zero
e. None of the above answers is correct.

72. The numerical value of the variance

a. is always larger than the numerical value of the standard deviation
b. is always smaller than the numerical value of the standard deviation
c. is negative if the mean is negative
d. can be larger or smaller than the numerical value of the standard deviation
e. None of the above answers is correct.

73. Since the median is the middle value of a data set it

a. must always be smaller than the mode
b. must always be larger than the mode
c. must always be smaller than the mean
d. must always be larger than the mean
e. None of the above answers is correct.

74. During a cold winter, the temperature stayed below zero for ten days
(ranging from -20 to -5). The variance of the temperatures of the ten day period
a. is negative since all the numbers are negative
b. must be at least zero
c. cannot be computed since all the numbers are negative
d. can be either negative or positive
e. None of the above answers is correct.

75. Since the population is always larger than the sample, the value of the sample
mean
a. is always smaller than the true value of the population mean
b. is always larger than the true value of the population mean
c. is always equal to the true value of the population mean
d. could be larger, equal to, or smaller than the true value of the population
mean
e. None of the above answers is correct.

13
76. The relative frequency of a class is computed by
a. dividing the midpoint of the class by the sample size
b. dividing the frequency of the class by the midpoint
c. dividing the sample size by the frequency of the class
d. dividing the frequency of the class by the sample size
e. None of the above answers is correct.

77. Which of the following is not a measure of dispersion?

a. mode
b. standard deviation
c. range
d. interqurtile range
e. None of the above answers is correct.

14