17 Uses and Abuses of Statistics

17 Uses and Abuses of Statistics

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Activity reasonable answers)

(d) Average income of a household in a city (or any other
Activity 17.1 (p. 106) reasonable answers)

1. (a) Census and Statistics Department p. 123

(b) To investigate the unemployment rate in January –
March, 20XX. 1. Sampling method is misused. Simple random sampling
should be used instead of systematic sampling.
2. (a) 24 000 households
(b) No, because it is difficult to cover the total labour 2. No misuse of methods.
force.
3. Data collection method is misused. Questionnaire should
3. (a) Interview be used instead of interview.
(b) Detailed information can be obtained.
4. Data collection method is misused. Interview on randomly
Activity 17.2 (p. 121) selected people waiting at the stops should be used instead.

1. Possible errors: Low validity and errors may be induced.

Improvements: Recruit more observers, possibly use video
to record the events for further observations. Exercise

2. Possible errors: Interview is not a suitable method to Exercise 17A (p. 123)
collect sensitive data. Only conservative answers might be
obtained. Level 1
Improvements: Anonymous questionnaires should be 1. (a) systematic sampling
used. (b) stratified random sampling
(c) simple random sampling
3. Possible errors: Low response rate may be resulted (d) systematic sampling
because questionnaires may be sent to wrong targets. (e) stratified random sampling
People with strong opinions about the quality are more (f) non-probability sampling
likely to return the questionnaire and may bias the results.
Improvements: Questionnaires should be sent to the users 2. (a) interview / questionnaire
only. (b) experiment
(c) questionnaire
4. Possible errors: Low validity of results as experiments are (d) observation
carried out on different appliances. (e) statistical publication / the Internet
Improvements: Experiments should be carried out on the (f) interview / questionnaire
same appliance. (g) experiment
(h) statistical publication / the Internet

25 4 1
Follow-up Exercise 3. (a) P (select a book) = × =
100 100 100
p. 115 (b) simple random sampling
(a) systematic sampling 4. (a) All the vehicles using the highway in a day.
(b) stratified random sampling (b) observation
(c) simple random sampling
(d) non-probability sampling Level 2
p. 118 5. (a) Simple random sampling. Assign a number to each
student in the school (or use their unique student
(a) Average number of people waiting at a bus stop (or any numbers) and then randomly select 300 students for
other reasonable answers) the survey.
(b) Customer’s opinion of a shopping mall (or any other 300 3
reasonable answers) (b) P (select a student) = 1000 = 10
(c) Favourite food of a class of student (or any other
Certificate Mathematics in Action Full Solutions 5B

(c) interview / questionnaire those did not like Mr. Lo, were more likely to return their
ballots.
6. (a) We can use age, sex, occupation, marital status or
educational background as a stratifying variable, 6. First of all, the data are presented poorly. They are divided
since all these factors may affect the income of an into too many groups, which are both time-consuming for
individual. An individual can only process one data tabulation and difficult in studying distribution. A
property in all these stratifying variables, e.g. male or frequency polygon with fewer groups should be used to
female, single or married, etc. present the data. Secondly, the conclusion is not very
(b) interview / questionnaire significant. Only 16 students, just more than half, have
school bags heavier than 6.2 kg. The conclusion should
7. (a) With the presence of the observer, the group behaviour point out the weights of the school bags lie between 5.0 kg
can change and give a biased result. The observer and 7.3 kg, with most of them lie between 5.6 kg and 6.7
should observe passively. kg.
(b) The sampling method is biased because members of the
population do not have the same chance of being 7. The statement is not quite valid. The car manufacturer
selected. Simple random sampling on the whole regards the customers who did not give a negative
population should be used. response as ‘satisfied’ customers. This would mislead and
(c) The sampling method is misused because car-owners give a wrong impression to the customers.
and non car-owners may have different opinions.
Stratified random sampling should be used to give a
better result. Multiple Choice Questions (p. 133)
1. Answer: C
Revision Exercise 17 (p. 131)
2. Answer: B
Level 1
1. (a) simple random sampling 3. Answer: A
(b) systematic sampling
(c) stratified random sampling 4. Answer: C
(d) stratified random sampling 6
Number of boys = 50 ×
6+4
2. (a) interview / questionnaire 6
(b) interview / questionnaire = 50 ×
10
(c) experiment
(d) questionnaire = 30
(e) statistical publication / the Internet
(f) statistical publication / the Internet 5. Answer: B
Interview is not suitable for collecting sensitive data.
3. (a) simple random sampling
(b) (i) stratified random sampling Observation is not suitable to collect qualitative data.
375 ∴ Only II is suitable.
(ii) Number of male staff = × 200 = 75
375 + 625
625 6. Answer: A
Number of female staff = × 200 = 125
375 + 625 For I and II, all the customers would have equal chance to
125 1 be selected while III would not.
(iii) P (female staff) = 625 = 5 ∴ I and II would give a good representative sample.

7.
Level 2
4. The income of staff at different levels are likely to be
different. The sample selected by simple random sampling
may not be proportional to the population and thus biases
the result. In this case, stratified random sampling with
staff levels as the stratifying variable should be used.
5. Although the sample has covered 100 000 people of the 8.
population, the readers of the News Digest are mainly
middle class. As a result, the sample is biased. Also,
people having a strong opinion about the election, such as
Answer: D
For I and II, the stratifying variable can stratify the
students into only one stratum.
For III, since a student can have more than one club and
society membership, therefore it cannot stratify the
students into only one stratum.
∴ Only I and II are appropriate stratifying variables.
Answer: D
For I, II and III, they are all possible reasons.