Which pair correctly describes a population parameter and a statistic?

Which pair correctly describes a population parameter and a statistic?

• A. Statistic, Parameter
• B. Parameter, Statistic
• C. Estimator, Parameter
• D. Constant, Random Variable

Answer: (B)

Understanding what each term represents is the key. A population parameter is the fixed value that describes something about the entire population (for example, the population mean μ). A statistic is the value computed from a sample that we use to estimate that parameter (for example, the sample mean x̄). So the pair that correctly labels the two concepts is Parameter for the population parameter and Statistic for the sample-based value. This aligns with how we typically connect a global characteristic to the local sample estimate. The other options mix in concepts like estimator or describe randomness, which are informative but don’t map to the pairings being asked as clearly.

Understanding what each term represents is the key. A population parameter is the fixed value that describes something about the entire population (for example, the population mean μ). A statistic is the value computed from a sample that we use to estimate that parameter (for example, the sample mean x̄). So the pair that correctly labels the two concepts is Parameter for the population parameter and Statistic for the sample-based value. This aligns with how we typically connect a global characteristic to the local sample estimate. The other options mix in concepts like estimator or describe randomness, which are informative but don’t map to the pairings being asked as clearly.