Jamie is interested in cars. Which of these facts can he determine by conducting a survey in his town? A) the total number of cars in his town B) the total number of red cars in his town C) the total number of cars that have over 100,000 miles on their odometers D) the percentage of cars in his town that were made by a particular manufacturer

The answer is D

The student cannot find out the total number of cars with any particular attribute from conducting a survey. He would have to examine all the cars in his town for that, not just sample them. He can’t find out a nationwide percentage unless he has reasonable proof that his town is typical of the entire nation. He can, however, get a good estimate of the percentage of cars in his town that were made by a particular manufacturer. The more cars included in the survey, the more reliable the estimate becomes.

All of the facts A, B, C and D can all be determined by conducting a survey in James town.