Question

Identify whether the given value is a statistic or a parameter.

In a study of American Airlines flights from JFK in New York to LAX in Los Angeles, 48 flights are randomly selected and the average (mean) arrival time is 8.9 minutes late.

Short answer

The average (mean) arrival time, equal to 8.9 minutes late, for the randomly selected 48 flights is a statistic.

Step-by-step solution

Given information

A random sample of 48 adults is extracted from the population of a large number of American Airlines flights taking off from New York and landing in Los Angeles.

Statistic and parameter

A statistical quantity calculated from the sample is called astatistic. For example, mean, proportion, and standard deviation are calculated using the sample.

A statistical quantity calculated from the population is called a population parameter or simply a parameter. For example, mean, range and variance are calculated for the population.

Identification of a statistic or a parameter

As the average (mean) arrival time is computed for a sample of 48 flights, the average (mean) arrival time equal to 8.9 minutes late is a statistic.