What is the difference between the sample mean and the population mean?

Question

anonymous · Answer

Imagine I'm handing out surveys to people to find out what my local area thinks about openstudy.com. I know I won't be able to survey everyone in my local area, so what I will do is survey a random selection of people, who will be my sample of the local area.

anonymous · Answer

so the population would  be like a collection of people or things right?

anonymous · Answer

It might help to know the context of the question. Is this for statistics, biology etc?

anonymous · Answer

finite math

anonymous · Answer

the entire question says What is the difference between the sample mean and the population mean?
Please use an example to help support your explanation.

anonymous · Answer

just a discussion question
basically

anonymous · Answer

Damn, I just wrote a long response and accidentally backspaced.

Here are two examples of each:

Population mean: the national census
Sample mean: my example above.

Basically, the population mean is the average of a total amount, so there is nothing left out. Sample mean is used to evaluate the total amount, without actually going to that extreme.

anonymous · Answer

ok..   i think i can take it from there.. just wasnt exactly sure what they were meaning...  thanks buddy
'

anonymous · Answer

No worries!