tensample

Tensample is a term used in statistics and experimental design to denote a sample size of ten units drawn from a population. It is commonly used in quick exploratory analyses, pilot studies, and quality control checks where speed or resource constraints require a small preliminary sample. The term can be used to describe a single instance of collecting ten observations, or to refer to any analysis derived from such a subset.

Etymology and usage: The word tensample is not standardized in major statistical glossaries; it appears informally in some textbooks, lab notes, and online discussions as shorthand for ten observations. In formal reporting, practitioners usually spell out "a sample of ten" or "n=10."

Statistical characteristics: With n=10, estimates of the population mean and variance are computed from the ten observations using the usual sample formulas. The standard error of the mean is s/√10, where s is the sample standard deviation. Because the sample size is small, inferences about the population mean are typically made using the t-distribution with 9 degrees of freedom. For a 95% confidence interval, the critical value is about 2.262, so the interval is mean ± 2.262*(s/√10).

Applications and limitations: Tensamples are used when rapid preliminary judgments are needed, when resources are limited, or when a full study is impractical. They have low statistical power and high variability, so results should be treated as indicative rather than definitive. Where feasible, tensamples are followed by larger samples or bootstrap resampling to improve inference.

Example: In an experiment measuring seed weight, a tensample of 10 seeds might be weighed to estimate the average seed mass before scaling up.