"Determine whether the data set is a population or a sample. Explain your reasoning.
The salary of each employee of an advertising firm"

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the definitions of 'population' and 'sample'. A population refers to the entire group of individuals or items that you are studying, while a sample is a subset of the population selected for analysis.
2. Step 2: Analyze the context of the problem. The data set provided includes the salary of each employee of an advertising firm. This implies that the data set includes information about all employees in the firm.
3. Step 3: Determine whether the data set represents the entire group or a subset. Since the problem states 'each employee,' it suggests that the data set includes all employees in the firm, not just a subset.
4. Step 4: Conclude that the data set is a population because it includes all members of the group being studied (all employees of the advertising firm).
5. Step 5: Explain the reasoning clearly: The data set is a population because it encompasses the entire group of interest (all employees of the firm), rather than a smaller subset or sample.

Key Concepts

Population

A population refers to the entire group of individuals or items that share a common characteristic. In statistics, it encompasses all members from which data can be collected. For example, if we consider the salaries of all employees in a company, that entire group constitutes the population.

Sample

A sample is a subset of a population selected for analysis. It is used to make inferences about the population without needing to collect data from every member. For instance, if only a few employees' salaries are surveyed instead of all, that group would be considered a sample.

Data Collection Context

Understanding the context of data collection is crucial in determining whether a data set is a population or a sample. In this case, since the question specifies 'the salary of each employee of an advertising firm,' it indicates that all employees are included, thus defining the data set as a population.