Question

question 2 - 6
a school wants to survey students about their favorite lunch options. two methods are suggested for selecting the sample:

• method 1: survey the first 50 students who enter the cafeteria.
• method 2: randomly select 50 students from the entire school.

which statement explains why one method is better for producing a representative sample?
method 1 is better because it gives all students an equal chance to be included in the sample.
method 2 is better because it gives all students an equal chance to be included in the sample.
method 1 is better because it is easier to collect data from the first students entering the cafeteria.
method 2 is better because it is easier to collect data from the first students entering the cafeteria.

Explanation:

A representative sample should include all members of the population with equal probability. Method 1 (surveying the first 50 students entering the cafeteria) is a convenience sample. Students who enter the cafeteria first may have certain characteristics (e.g., they have shorter breaks, they prefer to eat early) that are not representative of all students. Method 2 (randomly selecting 50 students from the entire school) is a simple random sample. In a simple random sample, every student in the school has an equal chance of being selected. This helps to ensure that the sample is representative of the entire student population.

Answer:

Method 2 is better because it gives all students an equal chance to be included in the sample.