The 200 students in a sociology class at Beta University sit in seats numbered 1 through 200. A good method for obtaining a simple random sample of 10 students is which of the following?
A) Pick the students in seats 1 through 10.
B) Ask for volunteers and pick the first 10 who volunteer.
C) Pick the last 10 students from an alphabetical class list.
D) Use a random numbers table to select 10 seat numbers between 1 and 200.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Using a random numbers table to select 10 seat numbers between 1 and 200 is the best method for obtaining a simple random sample of 10 students because it ensures that every student has an equal chance of being selected. Option A would only include the students in seats 1 through 10, which may not be representative of the entire class. Option B relies on volunteers and may lead to a biased sample. Option C selects the last 10 students based on alphabetical order, which also may not be representative of the entire class.

The 200 Students in a Sociology Class at Beta University