Probability and Statistics Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, definitions, and formulas in probability and statistics.

What term describes data consisting of quantifiable values that are either counted or measured?

Numerical data, which can be further classified as either discrete or continuous.

Numerical data that can only take specific, distinct values obtained by counting is called _____ data.

Discrete

What type of numerical data can take any value within a continuous range through measurement?

Continuous data

Non-numerical data that can be sorted and grouped into distinct categories is known as _____ data.

Categorical

What type of circular graph uses proportional sectors to represent parts of a whole dataset?

Pie chart (also known as a sector graph)

A display that uses vertical bars across categories to show and compare data frequencies is called a _____ graph.

Column

Which graphical display connects points with line segments to highlight trends over continuous intervals or time?

Line graph

A single rectangular bar partitioned into proportional segments based on total percentages is a _____ bar graph.

Divided

How is a count of five typically recorded using vertical tally marks during data gathering?

As four vertical lines with a fifth diagonal line crossing through the group of four.

A tabular summary displaying individual values or intervals alongside their observed counts is called a _____ table.

Frequency

Which statistical graph represents individual discrete data points as single dots positioned above a number line?

Dot plot

An extreme observation that lies distinct or separated from the main cluster of values in a dataset is called an _____.

Outlier

How is the arithmetic mean calculated for a set of data values?

By dividing the sum of all data values by the total count of values: $\text{Mean} = \frac{\text{sum of data values}}{\text{number of data values}}$

When data values are arranged in ascending numerical order, the middle value is known as the _____.

Median

What is the mode of a dataset?

The specific data value or observation that occurs with the highest frequency.

Summary statistics such as the mean, median, and mode that describe the typical middle location of a dataset are known as measures of _____.

Centre

What purpose do measures of spread (such as range and interquartile range) serve in statistics?

They quantify how dispersed or spread out the values in a numerical dataset are.

The difference calculated by subtracting the minimum value from the maximum value in a dataset is the _____.

Range

How is the lower quartile ($Q_1$) calculated in an ordered set of numerical data?

It is calculated as the median of the lower half of the ordered data set.

The upper quartile ($Q_3$) is defined as the median of the _____ half of an ordered numerical dataset.

Upper

What is the formula for calculating the Interquartile Range (IQR), and what does it measure?

$\text{IQR} = \text{upper quartile} - \text{lower quartile}$; it measures the spread of the middle $50\%$ of the data without being affected by extreme outliers.

The complete set of all members or items being studied in a statistical investigation is referred to as the _____.

Population

What is a statistical sample?

A representative subset selected from a population to draw inferences about the whole group.

A sampling method where every individual in a population has an equal chance of selection is called a _____ random sample.

Simple

How is a stratified sample constructed from a population?

By dividing the population into distinct sub-groups (strata) and randomly selecting participants separately from each sub-group.

Selecting participants based on easy accessibility rather than random selection creates a _____ sample.

Convenience

What distinguishes a census from a sample survey?

A census collects data from every single member of an entire population, whereas a sample survey collects data from only a subset.

A data distribution where the left and right sides of the graph mirror each other is described as _____.

Symmetric

What distinguishes a positively skewed distribution from a negatively skewed distribution?

A positively skewed distribution tails off toward higher values on the right, while a negatively skewed distribution tails off toward lower values on the left.

A data distribution displaying two distinct local peaks or modes is called a _____ distribution.

Bi-modal

In probability theory, what constitutes an experiment?

A repeatable process involving chance that leads to a measurable set of results.

A single performance or repetition within a chance experiment is known as a _____.

Trial

What is an outcome in a probability experiment?

A single possible result of a trial or experiment.

A collection of one or more outcomes resulting from a probability experiment is defined as an _____.

Event

What numerical range must any valid probability value lie within?

Between $0$ and $1$ inclusive (or $0\%$ to $100\%$).

The set of all possible outcomes of a probability experiment is called the _____ space.

Sample

What is the complement of an event $E$ (denoted $E'$), and what is the sum of their probabilities?

$E'$ is the event that $E$ does not occur; their combined probability is $\text{Pr}(E) + \text{Pr}(E') = 1$.

An experiment consisting of two sequential or independent stages is called a _____ experiment.

Two-step

How does a two-way table display data?

It lists frequencies of outcomes categorized simultaneously under two categorical variables, complete with row and column totals.

A visual diagram using overlapping circles inside a universal rectangle to represent sets and categories is a _____ diagram.

Venn

What are mutually exclusive events in probability?

Events that cannot happen at the same time, meaning $\text{Pr}(A \text{ and } B) = 0$.

An estimate of an event's probability based on empirical results is calculated as $\text{Experimental probability} = \frac{\text{number of times event occurs}}{\text{\_\_\_\_\_}}$

total number of trials in the experiment

What is a simulation in probability?

An experiment conducted using random devices (such as coins, dice, or spinners) to model complex real-world chance events.