Suppose a population consists of the following values: $1$, $3$, $5$, and $7$. What is the mean of this population?

• A. $5$
• B. $3$
• C. $4$
• D. $2$

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the population values given: 1, 3, 5, and 7.
2. Recall that the mean of a population is calculated by summing all the values and then dividing by the number of values.
3. Write the formula for the population mean: \(\mu = \frac{\sum X}{N}\), where \(\sum X\) is the sum of all population values and \(N\) is the number of values in the population.
4. Calculate the sum of the population values: \$1 + 3 + 5 + 7$.
5. Divide the sum by the number of values (which is 4) to find the mean: \(\mu = \frac{1 + 3 + 5 + 7}{4}\).