Implementing simple random or systematic sampling

Describe or carry out the practical steps to obtain a simple random sample or systematic sample, including use of random number tables, numbered lists, or dice.

9 questions · Easy -1.6

2.01c Sampling techniques: simple random, opportunity, etc
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CAIE S2 2020 Specimen Q2
3 marks Easy -1.8
2 Describe briefly how to use random numbers to choose a sample of 10 students from a year-group of 276 students.
CAIE S2 2016 November Q2
3 marks Easy -1.8
2 Dominic wishes to choose a random sample of five students from the 150 students in his year. He numbers the students from 1 to 150 . Then he uses his calculator to generate five random numbers between 0 and 1 . He multiplies each random number by 150 and rounds up to the next whole number to give a student number.
  1. Dominic's first random number is 0.392 . Find the student number that is produced by this random number.
  2. Dominic's second student number is 104 . Find a possible random number that would produce this student number.
  3. Explain briefly why five random numbers may not be enough to produce a sample of five student numbers.
OCR S2 2007 January Q2
5 marks Moderate -0.8
2 A school has 900 pupils. For a survey, Jan obtains a list of all the pupils, numbered 1 to 900 in alphabetical order. She then selects a sample by the following method. Two fair dice, one red and one green, are thrown, and the number in the list of the first pupil in the sample is determined by the following table.
\cline { 3 - 8 } \multicolumn{2}{c|}{}Score on green dice
\cline { 3 - 8 } \multicolumn{2}{c|}{}123456
Score on
red dice
1,2 or 3123456
For example, if the scores on the red and green dice are 5 and 2 respectively, then the first member of the sample is the pupil numbered 8 in the list. Starting with this first number, every 12th number on the list is then used, so that if the first pupil selected is numbered 8 , the others will be numbered \(20,32,44 , \ldots\).
  1. State the size of the sample.
  2. Explain briefly whether the following statements are true.
    1. Each pupil in the school has an equal probability of being in the sample.
    2. The pupils in the sample are selected independently of one another.
    3. Give a reason why the number of the first pupil in the sample should not be obtained simply by adding together the scores on the two dice. Justify your answer.
OCR S2 2011 June Q1
3 marks Easy -1.8
1 In Fisher Avenue there are 263 houses, numbered 1 to 263. Explain how to obtain a random sample of 20 of these houses.
OCR S2 2012 June Q1
2 marks Easy -1.8
1 In one day's production, a machine produces 1000 CDs . Explain how to take a random sample of 15 CDs chosen from one day's production.
OCR MEI D1 2012 January Q5
16 marks Easy -1.8
5 Five gifts are to be distributed among five people, A, B, C, D and E. The gifts are labelled from 1 to 5. Each gift is allocated randomly to one of the five people. A person can receive more than one gift.
  1. Use one-digit random numbers to simulate this process. One-digit random numbers are provided in your answer book. Explain how your simulation works. Produce a table, showing how many gifts each person receives.
  2. Carry out four more simulations showing, in each case, how many gifts each person receives.
  3. Use your simulation to estimate the probabilities of a person receiving \(0,1,2,3,4\) and 5 gifts.
  4. Describe what you would have to do differently if there were six people and six gifts.
OCR MEI D1 2016 June Q2
8 marks Moderate -0.8
2 A bag contains 26 cards. A different letter of the alphabet is written on each one. A card is chosen at random and its letter is written down. The card is returned to the bag. The bag is shaken and the process is repeated several times. Tania wants to investigate the probability of a letter appearing twice. She wants to know how many cards need to be chosen for this probability to exceed 0.5. Tania uses the following algorithm. Step 1 Set \(n = 1\) Step 2 Set \(p = 1\) Step 3 Set \(n = n + 1\) Step 4 Set \(p = p \times \left( \frac { 27 - n } { 26 } \right)\) Step 5 If \(p < 0.5\) then stop
Step 6 Go to Step 3
  1. Run the algorithm.
  2. Interpret your results. A well-known problem asks how many randomly-chosen people need to be assembled in a room before the probability of at least two of them sharing a birthday exceeds 0.5 (ignoring anyone born on 29 February).
  3. Modify Tania's algorithm to answer the birthday problem. (Do not attempt to run your modified algorithm.)
  4. Why have 29 February birthdays been excluded?
Edexcel S3 2021 January Q1
6 marks Easy -1.8
  1. A journalist is going to interview a sample of 10 players from the 60 players in a local football club. The journalist uses the random numbers on page 27 of the formula booklet and starts at the top of the 10th column, where the first number is 96
The journalist worked down the 10th column to select 10 numbers. The first 3 numbers selected were: 33, 15 and 23
  1. Find the other 7 numbers to complete the sample of ten. There are 24 girls and 36 boys who play football for the club.
    The journalist labels the girls from 1 to 24 and the boys from 25 to 60
  2. Show how the journalist can use her 10 random numbers to select a stratified sample of 10 players from the club to interview. The club provided the journalist with a list of the players in ascending order of ages, numbered 1 to 60. The journalist uses the 10 random numbers to select a simple random sample of the players.
  3. State, giving a reason, a group of players who may not be represented in this sample.
Edexcel S3 2014 June Q1
5 marks Easy -1.8
  1. (a) Explain what you understand by a random sample from a finite population.
    (b) Give an example of a situation when it is not possible to take a random sample.
A college lecturer specialising in shoe design wants to change the way in which she organises practical work. She decides to gather ideas from her 75 students. She plans to give a questionnaire to a random sample of 8 of these students.
(c) (i) Describe the sampling frame that she should use.
(ii) Explain in detail how she should use a table of random numbers to obtain her sample.