Which of the following is/are true about parameter ?
A. It is a characteristic of a sample.
B. It is a characteristic of a population.
C. It is a numerical value that is taken from the entire population, such as the population mean.
D. It is the numerical value taken from a sample and calculated from the sample observations alone.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → B and C only
A parameter is a numerical characteristic of a population (such as μ or σ); a statistic is the corresponding value computed from a sample (such as \( \bar{x} \) or s).
So a parameter describes the population, and a value calculated from a sample is a statistic.
Checking the statements
(A) It is a characteristic of a sample. — Incorrect. A characteristic of a sample is a statistic.
(B) It is a characteristic of a population. — Correct. This is the definition of a parameter.
(C) It is a numerical value that is taken from the entire population, such as the population mean. — Correct. The population mean μ is a parameter.
(D) It is the numerical value taken from a sample and calculated from the sample observations alone. — Incorrect. This describes a statistic.
CBSE Applied Mathematics (Class XII):
Parameter and Statistics
