8- 1

Chapter Eight
Sampling Methods and the Central Limit
Theorem
GOALS
When you have completed this chapter, you will be able to:
ONE
Explain why a sample is the only feasible way to learn about a
population.
TWO
Describe methods to select a sample.
THREE
Define and construct a sampling distribution of the sample
mean.
FOUR
Explain the central limit theorem. Goals
 8- 2

Chapter Eight continued

Sampling Methods and the Central Limit

Theorem
GOALS
When you have completed this chapter, you will be able to:
FIVE
Use the Central Limit Theorem to find probabilities of selecting
possible sample means from a specified population.

Goals
 8- 3

Why sample?
The physical
impossibility of
checking all items in
the population.
The time-consuming
The cost of studying aspect of contacting
all the items in a the whole population.
population.
The adequacy of
The destructive sample results
nature of in most cases.
certain tests.
Why Sample the Population?
 8- 4

Simple Random Sample A sample selected so that

each item or person in the population has the same
chance of being included.

Systematic Random Sampling

The items or individuals of the
population are arranged in some
order. A random starting point
is selected and then every kth
member of the population is
selected for the sample.

Probability Sampling/Methods
 8- 5

Stratified Random
Sampling: A
population is first
divided into
subgroups, called
strata, and a sample
is selected from each
stratum.

Methods of Probability Sampling

 8- 6

Cluster Sampling: A population is first divided

into primary units then samples are selected from
the primary units.

Cluster Sampling
 8- 7

The sampling error is the difference

between a sample statistic and its
corresponding population parameter.

The sampling distribution of the sample

mean is a probability distribution
consisting of all possible sample means of
a given sample size selected from a
population.
Methods of Probability Sampling
 8- 8

Partner Hours
The law firm of Dunn 22
Hoya and 26
Hardy
Associates has five
Kiers 30
partners. At their
weekly partners Malory 26
meeting each Tillman 22
reported the
number of hours If two partners are
they billed clients selected randomly, how
for their services many different samples
last week. are possible?

Example 1
 8- 9

5 objects 5! A total of 10
taken 2 at 5 C2 = = 10
2! (5 − 2)! different
a time. samples
Partners Total Mean
1,2 48 24
1,3 52 26
1,4 48 24
1,5 44 22
2,3 56 28
2,4 52 26
2,5 48 24
3,4 56 28
3,5 52 26
4,5 48 24

Example 1
 8- 10

As a sampling distribution

Sample Mean Frequency Relative

Frequency
probability

22 1 1/10
24 4 4/10
26 3 3/10
28 2 2/10

Example 1 continued
 8- 11

Compute the mean of the sample means.

Compare it with the population mean.

The mean of the sample means

Notice that the
22(1) + 24(2) + 26(3) + 28(2)
X = = 25.2 mean of the
10 sample means is
exactly equal to
The population mean the population
22 + 26 + 30 + 26 + 22 mean.
= = 25.2
5

Example 1 continued
 8- 12

Central Limit Theorem

If all samples of a particular size are selected from any
population, the sampling distribution of the sample
mean is approximately a normal distribution.

The standard error of the

mean is the standard This approximation improves
deviation of the standard with larger samples.
deviation of the sample The mean of the sampling
means given as: distribution equal to mu and
the variance equal to s2/n.
sx = s
n Central Limit Theorem
 8- 13

Sample means
follow the normal the underlying population
probability follows the normal
distribution under distribution
two conditions:

OR

the sample size is large

enough even when the
underlying population
may be nonnormal

Sample Means
 8- 14

X −
To determine the probability z=
that a sample mean falls s n
within a particular region,
use

Use s in place of s if the population

standard deviation is known.

Sample Means
 8- 15

Suppose the mean selling

price of a gallon of gasoline
in the United States is $1.30.
Further, assume the
distribution is positively
skewed, with a standard
deviation of $0.28. What is
the probability of selecting a
sample of 35 gasoline
stations and finding the
sample mean within $.08?

Example 2
 8- 16

Step One : Find the z-values corresponding to

$1.24 and $1.36. These are the two points within
$0.08 of the population mean.

X − $1.38 − $1.30
z= = = 1.69
s n $0.28 35

X − $1.22 − $1.30
z= = = −1.69
s n $0.28 35
Example 2 continued
 8- 17

Step Two: determine the probability of a z-value

between -1.69 and 1.69.

P(−1.69  z  1.69) = 2(.4545) = .9090

We would expect about 91

percent of the sample
means to be within $0.08 of
the population mean.

Example 2 continued