Assessment Task: Statistical Intervals

1. A random sample of size n1 = 25, taken from a normal population with a standard
deviation σ1 = 5, has a mean 1 = 80. A second random sample of size n2 = 36, taken
from a different normal population with a standard deviation σ2 = 3, has a mean 2 =
75. Find a 95% confidence interval for μ1 − μ2
2. An electrical firm manufactures light bulbs that have a length of life that is
approximately normally distributed with a standard deviation of 40 hours. If a
sample of 30 bulbs has an average life of 780 hours, find a 98% confidence interval
for the population mean of all bulbs produced by this firm.
3. A machine produces metal pieces that are cylindrical in shape. A sample of pieces
is taken, and the diameters are found to be 1.01, 0.97, 1.03, 1.04, 0.99, 0.98, 0.99,
1.01, and 1.03 centimeters. The sample mean and standard deviation for the given
data are = 1.0056 and s = 0.0246.
(a) Find a 99% confidence interval on the mean diameter.
(b) Compute a 99% prediction interval on a measured diameter of a single metal
piece taken from the machine.
(c) Find the 99% tolerance limits that will contain 95% of the metal pieces produced
by this machine
4. A random sample of 20 students yielded a mean of = 72 and a variance of s2 = 16
for scores on a college placement test in mathematics. Assuming the scores to be
normally distributed, construct a 98% confidence interval for σ2.