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What is required of a sample if its mean is to be a good estimate of the population mean?
AThe sample must contain at least 30 values
BThe sample must be drawn without replacement
CThe sample must be taken truly at random
DThe sample must be ordered before averaging
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. The sample must be taken truly at random
1. The sample mean is only an estimate of the population mean it stands in for.
2. That estimate is trustworthy when the sample is truly random.
3. Randomness stops any part of the population from being systematically over-represented.
4. Ordering the values changes nothing, since addition gives the same total in any order.
_Source: OpenStax Introductory Business Statistics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 2 "Descriptive Statistics", section 2.4 Sigma Notation and Calculating the Arithmetic Mean_
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