A representative sample is a small quantity of something that accurately reflects the larger entity. An example is when a small number of people accurately reflect the members of an entire population.
Then, how do you determine sample size?
Sample size determination. The sample size is an important feature of any empirical study in which the goal is to make inferences about a population from a sample. In practice, the sample size used in a study is determined based on the expense of data collection, and the need to have sufficient statistical power.
What is the size of the population?
Population size is the actual number of individuals in a population. Population density is a measurement of population size per unit area, i.e., population size divided by total land area. Abundance refers to the relative representation of a species in a particular ecosystem.