Statistics and Probability

DEFINING SAMPLING DISTRIBUTION OF SAMPLE MEAN FOR NORMAL

DISTRIBUTION
Kapag known:
• Given ang population mean at population variance
• Macocompute ang population deviation kung given ang population mean
• Applied kapag given ang large sample (n is greater than or equal to 30)
• Uses z-distribution

Kapag unknown:
• Uses t-distribution
• Hindi given ang mean at standard deviation
• Kapag given ang sample standard deviation, at hindi given ang population variance,
considered as UNKNOWN.
• Given ang sample variance, or sample standard deviation

Example:
1. Consider a population consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 11. Samples of size 3 are drawn
from this population.

Since given ang population mean (N=9), kaya nitong kunin ang population variance by means
of using a formula, kaya KNOWN ang variance.

σ
Therefore, the formula used in standard error will be the z-distribution: σ x̄ =
√n

2. Boys of a certain age are known to have a mean weight of 85 pounds. A complaint is
made that the boys living in a municipal children's home are underfed. As one bit of
evidence, boys (of the same age) are weighed and found to have a mean weight of 80.94
pounds. Given that the population standard deviation is 11.6 pounds.

Given: u = 85 pounds, sample size (n) = 25 boys, x̄ = 80.94, σ = 11.6 lbs

The population variance is KNOWN.

σ
Therefore, the formula used in standard error will be the z-distribution: σ x̄ =
√n

3. Assume that the mean systolic blood pressure is 150 mm Hg. In the Honolulu Heart
Study, a sample size of 100 people had an average systolic blood pressure of 130.1 mm Hg
with a sample standard deviation of 21.21 mm Hg.
Given: u = 150 mm Hg, x̄ = 130.1 mm Hg, σ = 21.21 mm Hg, n = 100
 The population variance is UNKNOWN.
s
Therefore, the formula used in standard error will be the t-distribution: s x̄ =
√n

COMPUTING FOR THE LENGTH OF CONFIDENCE INTERVAL

1. On day two of a study on body temperatures, 106 temperatures were taken. Suppose that we
only have the first 10 temperatures to work with. The mean and standard deviation of these 10
scores were 98.44°F and 0.30°F, respectively. Construct a 95% confidence interval for the mean
of all body temperatures.

Given: σ = 0.30 F, z a /2= 95% or 1.96, n = 10, = 98.44

Solution:
Length of Confidence Interval:
σ
E=z a/ 2 ( )
√n UL = x̄ + E
UL = 98.44 + 0.19
UL = 98.63
0.30
E=1.96( )
√ 10 LL = x̄ - E
LL = 98.44 – 0.19
LL = 98.25
E=0.19
L = UL – LL
L = 98.63 – 98.25
L = 0.38

Therefore, the length of confidence interval in this problem is 0.38.

2. Find the length of confidence interval given 90% of confidence interval, sample size of 250 and a
standard deviation of 2.38.
Given: σ = 2.38, z a /2 = 90% or 1.645, n = 250
Since sample mean is not given, we need to use the formula L = 2E to get the length of confidence interval.

σ
E=z a/ 2 ( )
√n Length of Confidence Interval:

2.38 L = 2E
E=1.645( ) L = 2(0.25)
√250 L = 0.5

E=0.25
 COMPUTING APPROPRIATE SAMPLE SIZE USING THE LENGTH
OF THE INTERVAL
z a /2 ⋅ σ 2
n=( )
E

N = sample size σ = population standard deviation

E = margin of error
za/2 = confidence coefficient

1. A CEO of a company wishes to estimate the average number of hours his part - time employee
spend per week The standard deviation from a previous study is 9.3 hours. How large a sample must
be selected if he wants to be 96% confidence of finding whether the true mean differs from the sample
mean by 5 hours?

Given: σ = 9.3 hours, z a /2 = 96% or 2.05, E = 5 hours, n = ?

z a /2 ⋅ σ 2
n=( )
E
2
2.05 ⋅ 9.3
n=( )
5

n=14.538 Round off to the nearest whole number

round up = 5 above, add 1
round down = 4 below, remain

n=15