Solved Examples and Worksheet for Collecting Data-Formulating a Question

Q1Henry wants to determine his classmates' favorite season. Which question will help him get fair results?

A. Do you like the hot summer or the pleasant spring?
B. Which season do you like best?
C. Do you like winter or fall?
D. Do you like ice-skating?

Solutions
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Step: 1
The question 'Do you like winter or fall?' is unfair, because, it only gives you two choices.
Step: 2
The question 'Do you like the hot summer or the pleasant spring?' is again unfair, because, it gives preference to spring over summer.
Step: 3
The question 'Do you like ice-skating?' is in no way connected to the survey.
  [Because, the survey is about the favorite season not about ice-skating.]
Step: 4
The question 'Which season do you like best?' is most appropriate, because, Henry′s classmates are free to choose any season that they like best.
Correct Answer is :   Which season do you like best?
Q2Which of these questions will help Brittany know her classmate′s favorite bakery food?

A. Do you like bakery food?
B. Which bakery food you like the most: chocolate cake or muffins?
C. Do you like cookies?
D. What is your favorite bakery food?

Solutions
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Step: 1
To get a fair survey there should be no suggestions in the question asked.
Step: 2
To get a fair survey, Brittany should ask her classmates what their favorite bakery food is. This will be free of any suggestions.
Correct Answer is :   What is your favorite bakery food?
Q3A kids club would construct a skating ring for kids if the members of the club want one. Identify the question that could be asked to find out the members' opinion.

A. Do you know skating?
B. Would you like to have a skating ring around?
C. Do you like skating?
D. Do you want to learn skating?

Solutions
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Step: 1
'Would you like to have a skating ring around?' is the question that could be asked to find out members' opinion.
  [Because, it is immaterial whether they know or, like or, want to learn skating.]
Correct Answer is :   Would you like to have a skating ring around?
Q4Mr.Smith wants to know the favorite way to eat potatoes, of his students. Which of these questions will give you fair results?

A. What is your favorite way to eat potatoes?
B. Which is your favorite way to eat potatoes: mashed or fried?
C. Do you like baked potatoes?
D. Do you cook potatoes at home?

Solutions
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Step: 1
To get fair survey results, Mr. Smith should ask the question 'What is your favorite way to eat potatoes?' to his students.
Correct Answer is :   What is your favorite way to eat potatoes?
Q5Harry wanted to know which dish was most popular among his classmates. Which of the following questions can he ask them?
A. Do you cook?
B. Which is your favorite restaurant?
C. Do you like eating pizza?
D. Which is your favorite dish?

Solutions
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Step: 1
To know which dish was most popular among his classmates, Harry should ask the question 'Which is your favorite dish?'.
  [Among the questions listed, 'Which is your favorite dish?' is the most appropriate one, because, the other three questions are not relevant to the survey.]
Correct Answer is :   Which is your favorite dish?
Q6Olga wishes to know what time her classmates go to sleep. She asked them if they go to sleep by 11 P.M. Is her question good enough to know what she wants?
A. Yes, because she is giving a choice to her classmates.
B. No, she should ask them the time they go to sleep.
C. Yes, because most of the students go to sleep by 11 P.M.
D. No, because she should ask if they like to play in the morning or in the evening.

Solutions
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Step: 1
Olga's question to her classmates should be 'At what time do you go to sleep?'.
Step: 2
So, Olga's question is not good enough to know what she wants.
Correct Answer is :   No, she should ask them the time they go to sleep.
Q7Peter wants to know the favorite ice cream flavor of his classmates. Which of these questions would help him to learn what he wants?

A. Do you like vanilla ice cream?
B. At what time of the day do you like to have ice cream?
C. Are you having ice cream?
D. Which ice cream flavor do you like the most?

Solutions
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Step: 1
Peter can know the favorite ice cream flavor of his classmates by asking the ice cream flavor they like the most.
Step: 2
So, the question 'Which ice cream flavor do you like the most?' would help him to learn what he wants.
Correct Answer is :   Which ice cream flavor do you like the most?
Q8A kids club would construct a skating ring for kids if the members of the club want one. Identify the question that could be asked to find out the members' opinion.

A. Do you know skating?
B. Would you like to have a skating ring around?
C. Do you like skating?

Solutions
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Step: 1
'Would you like to have a skating ring around?' is the question that could be asked to find out members' opinion.
  [Because, it is immaterial whether they know or, like or, want to learn skating.]
Correct Answer is :   Would you like to have a skating ring around?
Q9Michael wants to find the number of hours that students in his school spent studying physics. Identify the best sampling method for him to use.
A. Ask the students who score above 90 percent in physics.
B. Select a few grades, and ask few students in each grade.
C. Ask his friends
D. Ask all the teachers in the school.

Solutions
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Step: 1
A sample is a part of the population.
Step: 2
In a random sample, each object in the population has an equal chance of being selected.
Step: 3
Selecting few grades and asking few students is random sampling.
Step: 4
So, the best sampling method used by Michel is 'Select a few grades, and ask few students in each grade.
Correct Answer is :   Select a few grades, and ask few students in each grade.
Q10XYZ Company wants to find out the favorite chocolate of the people of a particular town. Identify the best sampling method.

A. Ask the managers of bakery
B. Select the bakery nearby and interview the people coming there
C. Select a few bakeries and interview the people coming there
D. Ask the company staff

Solutions
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Step: 1
A sample is a part of the population
Step: 2
In a random sample, each person in the population has an equal chance of being selected.
Step: 3
Selecting a few bakeries and interviewing the people coming there is the best sampling method
Correct Answer is :   Select a few bakeries and interview the people coming there
Q11A maintenance crew wants to estimate how many of 5000 airfilters in an office building need replacing. Identify the best sampling method.

A. Randomly select five filters on each floor of the office building.
B. Ask the office staff.
C. Randomly select one floor in the office building.

Solutions
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Step: 1
The method 'randomly select one floor in the office building' is convenience sampling as the crew is selecting one floor and leaving the rest.
Step: 2
The method 'ask the office staff' is not representative.
Step: 3
The best method is to randomly select some filters in each floor.
Step: 4
So, 'randomly select five filters on each floor of the office building' is the best sampling method.
Correct Answer is :   Randomly select five filters on each floor of the office building.
Q12Which of these questions will help Wilma know her friend's favorite drink?
A. What is your favorite drink?
B. Which drink you like the most, pineapple or mango?
C. Do you like cooldrinks?

Solutions
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Step: 1
The question, 'What is your favorite drink?' would help Wilma know her friend's favorite drink.
Correct Answer is :   What is your favorite drink?
Q13Jennifer wants to know the favorite outdoor game of her classmates. Which of these is a fair question to ask?
A. What is your favorite outdoor game?
B. What is your favorite sport?
C. Which is your favorite outdoor game, football or tennis?

Solutions
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Step: 1
The question 'What is your favorite outdoor game?' is the fair question to know the favorite outdoor game of her classmates.
Correct Answer is :   What is your favorite outdoor game?
Q14ABC company wants to find out the favorite icecream of the people of a particular town. Identify the best sampling method.

A. Select the icecream shop nearby and interview the people coming there.
B. Select few icecream shops and interview the people coming there.
C. Ask the company staff.

Solutions
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Step: 1
A sample is a part of the population
Step: 2
In a random sample, each object in the population has an equal chance of being selected.
Step: 3
Selecting few icecream shops and interview the people coming there, is random sampling which is the best sampling method.
Correct Answer is :   Select few icecream shops and interview the people coming there.

HighSchool Math