Question

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

Birth Weight In a study of 400 babies born at four different hospitals in New York State, it was found that the average (mean) weight at birth was 3152.0 grams.

Short answer

The average weight at birth of a population of 400 babies is equal to 3152.0 grams and represents a statistic.

Step-by-step solution

Given information

Out of the total number of babies born at four different hospitals (400), the mean weight at birth is given to be equal to 3152.0 grams.

Statistic and parameter

The mathematical measures that describe a population and are calculated using the population data are called parameters. For example, the average number of customers that visit a store regularly in Florida is equal to 50,000. This is a parameter.

The mathematical measures that describe a sample and are calculated using the sample data are called statistics. For example, out of a randomly selected set of 100 customers, the average amount spent per month by each customer is equal to $400. This is a statistic.

Identification of a statistic or a parameter

Since the mean weight at birth equal to 3152.0 grams is calculated for a subset of 400 babies born at four different hospitals, the value of 3152.0 grams is astatistic.