AP Statistics: Unit 3 – Simple Random Sampling
Name: __________________________________ Date: _____________________ Period: _________
Practice: Simple Random Sampling
1. Lance, a statistics student at Pearce, properly simulates the length of checkout lines at Target on
Coit. He reports, “The average length of the line will be 3.2 people.” What should the correct
conclusion include?
2. The World Series ends when a team wins 4 games. Suppose that sports analysts consider one
team a bit stronger, with a 55% chance to win any individual game. Estimate the likelihood that the
underdog wins the series. Create a simulation with 10 trials.
(a) Identify the component.
(b) Explain how you plan to do this simulation. (Consider using 00 – 54, 55 – 99)
(c) State your response variable.
(d) Run 10 trials.
Trial 1: Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5
Trial 6 Trial 7 Trial 8 Trial 9 Trial 10
(e) State your conclusion.
3. Many couples want to have both a boy and girl. If they decide to continue to have children until they
have one girl and one boy, what would the average family size be? Assume that boys and girls are
equally likely.
(a) Identify the component.
(b) Explain how you plan to do this simulation. (Consider using 00 – 49, 50 – 99)
(c) State your response variable:
(d) Run 10 trials utilizing the Random Digit Table.
(e) State your conclusion.
AP Statistics: Unit 3 – Simple Random Sampling
4. Half Priced Book store is deciding about holding a contest. Here is their plan: once an hour,
someone in the store is chosen at random to play the game. For the game, the clerk places 5 cards
down, one is the ace. The customer gets to turn over one card at a time looking for the ace. The
person will win $100 worth of merchandise if the ace is the first card, $50 if it’s the 2 nd, and $20 if it’s
the 3rd, $10, and then $5. What is the average dollar amount of music/books the store will give
away? Describe the simulation that you used to achieve your result. Run at least 15 trials.
(a) Identify the component.
(b) Explain how you plan to do this simulation.
(c) State your response variable.
(d) Run 15 trials.
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4 Trial 5
Trial 6 Trial 7 Trial 8 Trial 9 Trial 10
Trial 11 Trial 12 Trial 13 Trial 14 Trial 15
(e) State your conclusion.
5. Suppose 1000 iPhones are produced at a factory today. Management would like to ensure that the
phones’ display screens meet their quality standards before shipping them to retail stores. Since it
takes about 10 minutes to inspect an individual phone’s display, managers decide to inspect a
sample of 20 phones from the day’s production.
(a) Explain why it would be difficult for managers to inspect a SRS of 20 phones from the day’s
production.
(b) An eager employee suggests that it would be easy to inspect the last 20 iPhones that are
produced today. Why wouldn’t this be a good idea?
AP Statistics: Unit 3 – Simple Random Sampling
(c) Another employee recommends a different sampling method: randomly choose one of the first
50 phones produced. Inspect that phone and every fiftieth iPhone produced afterward. (This
method is known as systemic random sampling). Explain carefully why this sampling method
is not an SRS.
6. UNT has been bothering me constantly about contributing money ever since I graduated,
something you get to enjoy in a couple years. Suppose UNT plans to select 500 names from the
alumni phone system, call those homes between noon and 4 PM, and interview whoever answers,
anticipating contacts with at least 200 people.
(a) Why is it difficult to use a simple random sample here?
(b) What kinds of households are likely to be included in the eventual sample of opinion?
Excluded?
(c) Suppose, instead, that they continue calling each number, perhaps morning and evening, until
an adult is contacted and interviewed. How does this improve the sampling design?
(d) Random-digit-dialing machines can generate the phone calls for them. How would this improve
their design? Is anyone still excluded?
Explain what is WRONG with each simulation:
7. Use a random integer from 0 to 9 to represent the number of heads that appear when 9 coins are
tossed.
8. A basketball player takes a foul shot. Look at a random digit, using an odd digit to represent a good
shot and an even to represent a miss.
9. Use random number 2 to 12 to represent the sum of the faces when two dice are rolled.
