What's the difference between N and n?

What's the difference between N and n?

• A. N is a sample number, n is a population number
• B. N is a population number, and n is a sample number
• C. N and n are both population numbers
• D. N and n are both sample numbers

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that N represents the size of the entire population you’re interested in, while n represents the size of the subset you actually observe or study. For example, if a school has 1,000 students, N = 1,000. If you randomly survey 100 of those students, n = 100. This distinction matters because you use the sample size (n) to compute estimates and standard errors, and you may adjust calculations based on how large the population is (N). So the difference is that N is the population size and n is the sample size.

The main idea is that N represents the size of the entire population you’re interested in, while n represents the size of the subset you actually observe or study. For example, if a school has 1,000 students, N = 1,000. If you randomly survey 100 of those students, n = 100. This distinction matters because you use the sample size (n) to compute estimates and standard errors, and you may adjust calculations based on how large the population is (N). So the difference is that N is the population size and n is the sample size.