Suppose you calculate the mean height of all students in a particular college. Is this value a parameter or a statistic?

• A. $\mathrm{Parameter}$
• B. $\mathrm{Neither}$
• C. $\mathrm{Both}$
• D. $\mathrm{Statistic}$

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the definitions: A parameter is a numerical value that describes a characteristic of an entire population, while a statistic describes a characteristic of a sample drawn from the population.
2. Identify the group involved: The problem states that the mean height is calculated for all students in the college, which means the entire population is considered, not just a sample.
3. Since the mean is calculated using data from the entire population, this value represents a parameter, not a statistic.
4. If the mean were calculated from only a subset (sample) of students, then it would be a statistic.
5. Therefore, the mean height of all students in the college is a parameter because it summarizes a characteristic of the whole population.