---
title: "Who Was Asked: Samples and the People Left Out"
description: "A statistic is about the people who answered, not the people you care about. Covers the difference between a population and a sample, why the method of asking decides who is missing, and how a poll of"
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/who-was-asked-samples-and-the-people-left-out-mt_NQju6n-CKb
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/who-was-asked-samples-and-the-people-left-out-mt_NQju6n-CKb.md
retrieved: 2026-09-12
---

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# Who Was Asked: Samples and the People Left Out

A statistic is about the people who answered, not the people you care about. Covers the difference between a population and a sample, why the method of asking decides who is missing, and how a poll of a self-selected group can be precisely wrong.

Subject: Mathematics · Area: Data & Statistics · Ages 14 to 15
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/who-was-asked-samples-and-the-people-left-out-mt_NQju6n-CKb

## Ready when they can

- State the population a given claim is really about, given how the data was collected
- Name two ways of choosing a sample that leave out a predictable group, and say who is missing in each
- Explain why a larger self-selected sample does not fix a biased one

## Lesson: Who was actually asked

A statistic describes the people who answered, not the people you care about. The population is everyone the claim is about. The sample is the people actually measured. A website poll of its own readers speaks about those readers, never the whole public.

The method of asking decides who is missing. Landline calls in work hours miss mobile-only homes and workers. A survey at one station at noon misses everyone elsewhere. Convenience and volunteer samples favour whoever is easiest to reach.

**Example.** A bigger self-selected sample never fixes the tilt. Ten thousand extra clicks still exclude everyone offline. Bias is built into the method, while the normal wobble between fair samples is just variation.

**Tip.** Meet every headline with three questions: who was asked, who could not answer, and who chose to stay quiet. If any answer narrows the group, shrink the claim to match.

**Recap.** Ask who answered, who was shut out, and whether a bigger count would only measure the wrong group more precisely.

## Practice

14 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [Statistical Questions](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/statistical-questions-mt_4Ax4JPXJWD)
- [Populations, Samples and Bias](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/populations-samples-and-bias-mt_c7knRZy3Vt)
- [How a Chart Can Mislead](https://lightmysky.com/learn/mathematics/how-a-chart-can-mislead-mt_z7yMoRWipf)