Which statistic provides a summary of data from a sample?

Descriptive statistics are used to summarize and describe the characteristics of a dataset derived from a sample. These statistics provide insights into the central tendency, variability, and overall distribution of data points. Common measures within descriptive statistics include the mean, median, mode, standard deviation, and various graphical representations such as charts and histograms. The purpose of descriptive statistics is to present a clear picture of the sample's data in a way that makes it easier to understand the larger trends without making inferences about the population from which the sample was drawn.

On the other hand, inferential statistics involve using a sample to make predictions or generalizations about a larger population, which extends beyond simply summarizing the sample data. Exploratory statistics pertain to techniques used to analyze data sets to find patterns or relationships, often prior to determining formal statistical tests. Experimental statistics relate to methods used in the design and analysis of experiments and are not a distinct category devoted to summarizing data from samples. This clearly establishes why descriptive statistics is the appropriate choice for summarizing data from a sample.