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A town wants to know how people feel about a new bus route.
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A town wants to know how people feel about a new bus route. For one week, it hands out a form only on the buses of that route.
- Who is left out?
- Will the result be too kind or too harsh to the route? Say why.
- Suggest a fairer way.
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
The population is everyone we want to know about. The sample is the few we ask. A fair sample gives everyone the same chance of being chosen. A sample that leaves out a kind of person is biased.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Left out. Everyone who does not ride the route. Some of them may avoid it because it is slow or does not go where they need.
Step 2. The result. Too kind. The people on the bus chose to use the route, so they are more likely to like it.
Step 3. A fairer way. Choose homes by chance from the town's list of addresses, and ask the people there, bus riders or not.
Answer: the people who do not ride the route; too kind; a sample chosen by chance from the whole town.
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