Identify the kind of sample that is described.

The student government association at a certain college draws a random sample of 20 freshmen, a random sample of 20 sophomores, a random sample of 30 juniors, and a random sample of 30 seniors to ask their opinion about a new grading policy.

1 answer

The sampling method described is known as stratified sampling. In this approach, the population is divided into distinct subgroups, or strata (in this case, the strata are based on class year: freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors). Then, random samples are taken from each of these strata. This method ensures that each segment of the population is represented in the sample, which can lead to more accurate and reliable results.