College

If a sample of 69 students is taken from a population of 508 students, the population variance, [tex]\sigma^2[/tex], is the variance of how many students' heights?

A. Both 69 and 508
B. Neither 69 nor 508
C. 69
D. 508

Answer :

To determine which group of students' heights the population variance, [tex]\(\sigma^2\)[/tex], refers to, let’s first define what population variance represents.

Population variance, [tex]\(\sigma^2\)[/tex], is a measure of the spread of a set of values in a population. In other words, it tells us how much the values in the entire population deviate from the mean of the population.

Given the problem:
- We have a population of 508 students.
- We take a sample of 69 students from this population.

The population variance, [tex]\(\sigma^2\)[/tex], is specifically related to the entire population, meaning it measures the variance of heights for all 508 students, not just the sample.

So, the population variance [tex]\(\sigma^2\)[/tex] corresponds to the variance of the heights of all 508 students, not just the 69 students in the sample.

Thus, the correct answer is:

D. 508