An actual number; an estimator represents a potential number. Which pair is correct?

An actual number; an estimator represents a potential number. Which pair is correct?

• A. Statistic, Estimate
• B. Estimator, Statistic
• C. Estimate, Estimator
• D. Parameter, Statistic

Answer: (C)

The key idea is the distinction between the method used and the number you get. An estimator is the rule or formula you apply to sample data to infer something about the population. The estimate is the actual numerical value you obtain from that rule. So the pair that fits is the one where the actual number produced by applying the method is the estimate, and the estimator is the procedure used to produce it. The other options mix up the roles: a statistic is a sample-based numerical summary, a parameter is the true population value, and they aren’t the producing method–result pair described here.

The key idea is the distinction between the method used and the number you get. An estimator is the rule or formula you apply to sample data to infer something about the population. The estimate is the actual numerical value you obtain from that rule. So the pair that fits is the one where the actual number produced by applying the method is the estimate, and the estimator is the procedure used to produce it. The other options mix up the roles: a statistic is a sample-based numerical summary, a parameter is the true population value, and they aren’t the producing method–result pair described here.