Question

1. for each of the following, determine whether the question is a statistical question. give a reason for your answer.

a. how many letters are in my last name?
b. how many letters are in the last names of the students in my 6th - grade class?
c. what are the colors of the shoes worn by the students in my school?
d. what is the maximum number of feet that roller - coasters drop during a ride?
e. what are the heart rates of the students in a 6th - grade class?
f. how many hours of sleep per night do 6th - graders usually get when they have school the next day?
g. how many miles per gallon do compact cars get?

Explanation:

A statistical question has variability in the data that will be collected.

• "How many letters are in my last name?" has a single - valued answer, no variability, so it's not statistical.
• "How many letters are in the last names of the students in my 6th - grade class?" has multiple values (different students have different last - name lengths), so it's statistical.
• "What are the colors of the shoes worn by the students in my school?" has multiple possible color values for different students, so it's statistical.
• "What is the maximum number of feet that roller coasters drop during a ride?" has a single value for a particular roller coaster ride (though different roller coasters may have different maximum drops), but if considering a single ride as the context, it's not statistical. If considering multiple rides of different roller coasters, it could be statistical. Assuming a single - ride context here, it's not statistical.
• "What are the heart rates of the students in a 6th - grade class?" has multiple heart - rate values for different students, so it's statistical.
• "How many hours of sleep per night do 6th - graders usually get when they have school the next day?" has multiple sleep - hour values for different 6th - graders, so it's statistical.
• "How many miles per gallon do compact cars get?" has multiple MPG values for different compact cars, so it's statistical.

Answer:

a. Not statistical. Reason: Single - valued answer for one last name.
b. Statistical. Reason: Multiple last - name lengths for different students.
c. Statistical. Reason: Multiple shoe - color values for different students.
d. Not statistical (assuming single - ride context). Reason: Single value for a particular ride.
e. Statistical. Reason: Multiple heart - rate values for different students.
f. Statistical. Reason: Multiple sleep - hour values for different 6th - graders.
g. Statistical. Reason: Multiple MPG values for different compact cars.