Two samples of data are collected and the sample means calculated. If the samples come from the same population, then:
A)Their means should be roughly equal.
B)Their means should differ significantly.
C)The experiment is unreliable.
D)The difference between the samples we have collected is likely to be larger than we would expect based on the standard error.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If two samples come from the same population, then we would expect their means to be roughly equal. This is because the samples should reflect the same underlying population, so the means should be similar. If the means differ significantly, it suggests that the two samples may come from different populations. Option B, D and C are incorrect because the means of two samples from the same population should not differ significantly, the difference between the samples should be within the expected range of standard error, and the reliability of the experiment is not in question here.

Two Samples of Data Are Collected and the Sample Means