Who Was Asked: Samples and the People Left Out · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Who was actually asked

Mathematics · Data & Statistics · ages 14-15
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. A website polls its own readers about a new law and reports what the public thinks. What population is the claim really about?

    • Readers of that website who chose to answer
    • All citizens of the country
    • All registered voters
    • A random sample of adults

  2. A website polls its readers about a new law and reports what the public thinks. Who is the claim really about?

    • All citizens
    • The readers who chose to answer
    • All registered voters

  3. Which pair names population and sample correctly?

    • Population: all teens; sample: the gamers surveyed
    • Population: the gamers surveyed; sample: all teens
    • Population and sample always match

  4. Lena says 100000 votes in an online poll must beat a random sample of 1000. Is Lena right?

    Circle one:   True   False

  5. A landline-only work-hours poll claims to describe all adults. Omar says it covers only people reachable that way. Is Omar right?

    Circle one:   True   False

  6. A survey is handed out only at one train station at noon. Which group does it miss?

    • People who never use that station
    • People who travel by train
    • Commuters who pass through it
    • Adults who live nearby

  7. A phone poll calls only landlines during work hours and claims to describe all adults. Omar says the claim really covers only people reachable that way. Is Omar right?

    Circle one:   True   False

  8. A survey is handed out at one train station at noon. Which group does it miss?

    • Commuters at that station
    • People nowhere near that station at noon
    • Station staff

  9. A creator can buy 50000 more poll clicks or run a random survey of 800. Which helps accuracy?

    • The 50000 clicks, since more is more
    • The random 800, since fair selection beats tilted volume
    • Neither ever helps

  10. A headline claims most teens love a show, from a fan-forum poll. What is your first question?

    • What colour is the forum
    • How old is the show
    • Who was asked, and who could never answer
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_NQju6n-CKb-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Who was actually asked W1-mt_NQju6n-CKb-s1

  1. Readers of that website who chose to answer · Only that website's self-selected readers could answer, so the results describe them, not the whole public.
  2. The readers who chose to answer · Only visitors who saw the poll and clicked could appear in it.
  3. Population: all teens; sample: the gamers surveyed · The claim is about all teens, but only the gamers were measured.
  4. False · Size never cures tilt. The fair smaller sample speaks wider.
  5. True · The method excludes mobile-only homes and daytime workers.
  6. People who never use that station · Only users of that one station at midday can answer, so everyone who never uses it is left out.
  7. True · Omar is right. The method excludes mobile only households and people out at work, so the population is narrower.
  8. People nowhere near that station at noon · One place at one hour shuts out everyone elsewhere.
  9. The random 800, since fair selection beats tilted volume · Fair picking cures what volume cannot: the tilt itself.
  10. Who was asked, and who could never answer · Match the claim back to the collection method before believing it.
Worksheet · LightMySky