In: Statistics and Probability
4. Which sampling technique you would use for each of
the following experiments. Explain your reasoning.
a. A scientist is interested in the amount of lead in drinking
water of a small town.
b. A botanist is interested in the height of pine trees in a large
forest.
c. A sociologist wants to estimate the number of people in
Minnesota without health insurance.
d. A student wants to estimate the speed of vehicles passing by a
mile post in a rural road for an assignment due next day.
e. A teacher is interested in NWEA math scores of Grade 10 students
in Minnesota\
a.Simple Random Sampling : As the samples of drinking water should be collected from different houses and the houses to be a part of the survey should be selected at random, Simple Random Sampling would be the preferable sampling approach.
b. Simple Random Sampling or Stratified sampling. : Simple Random sampling can be used for the same reason as explained above. If we are planning to use Stratifies Random Sampling, we may take stratas of pine trees, from different parts of the large forest under study. This selection is proposed on the assumption that the height of trees in a given region may depend on the type of the terrain in the region.
c. Here, we are not to do a sampling approach, but a survey/census on the whole population of Minnesota. Only with such an approach, we can estimate the number of people.
d. Cluster sampling : In cluster sampling, every member of the population is assigned to only one group. This group can be intervals of times at which the student observes the speed of the vehicle. Each such group is called a cluster. A sample of clusters can be selected using a probability method may be SRS). Only individuals within selected sampled clusters can then be surveyed.
e.Multistage sampling. : In multistage sampling, we select a sample by using combinations of different sampling approaches. Here, we may select the schools to be selected using Simple Random Sampling(Stage1) and then select students to be selected from each school by using Stratified Random Sampling(Stage2).(Or vice versa)