Solve Sampling Problems: 95% Interval for Mean of X

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In summary, the purpose of calculating a 95% interval for the mean of X is to estimate the true population mean with a certain level of confidence. This is achieved by taking a sample from the population, calculating the sample mean and standard deviation, and using a formula to determine the upper and lower bounds of the interval. A 95% confidence level means that 95% of intervals calculated from multiple samples would contain the true population mean. Factors such as sample size, variability of the population, and desired level of confidence can affect the width of the interval. This method is only applicable for data that follows a normal distribution.
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somecelxis
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Homework Statement



If X is distributed normally with mean = 7 and the variance of X is 4 , calculate a 95% interval for mean of X . size interval is 10

Homework Equations


The Attempt at a Solution



here's my working :
( 4- 1.960 x (surd(4/10)) , 4+1.960 x (surd(4/10)) )

my ans is incorrect . the correct ans is (6.24, 7.59)
trGFvqC.png
formula which i used

[/B]
 
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  • #2
I assume you mean a confidence interval for the mean of a sample, sample size 10.
How do you get 4-... and 4+...? Think about that again.
But I don't see how the given answer can be right either. It should be symmetric about the mean, no?
 
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  • #3
somecelxis said:

Homework Statement



If X is distributed normally with mean = 7 and the variance of X is 4 , calculate a 95% interval for mean of X . size interval is 10

Homework Equations


The Attempt at a Solution



here's my working :
( 4- 1.960 x (surd(4/10)) , 4+1.960 x (surd(4/10)) )

my ans is incorrect . the correct ans is (6.24, 7.59)
trGFvqC.png
formula which i used
[/B]

Your problem statement is contradictory as you have written it, but it can be fixed: you want a 95% probability interval for the SAMPLE mean (not the mean, which was already given as 7 exactly). So, you want an interval ##[a,b]## with
[tex] \Pr \left( \bar{X} \in [a,b] \right) = 0.95[/tex]
In principle, the interval ##[a,b]## can have any location, but in practice it is almost always chosen to be symmetric about the mean true mean. Your formula does not reflect that. Do you see how you can modify it to satisfy the symmetry requirement?

Note: maybe you are confusing your problem with one in which the true mean ##\mu## is unknown but must also be estimated from the data itself.
 
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  • #4
haruspex said:
I assume you mean a confidence interval for the mean of a sample, sample size 10.
How do you get 4-... and 4+...? Think about that again.
But I don't see how the given answer can be right either. It should be symmetric about the mean, no?
( 7- 1.960 x (surd(4/10)) , 7+1.960 x (surd(4/10)) )
 
  • #5
Ray Vickson said:
Your problem statement is contradictory as you have written it, but it can be fixed: you want a 95% probability interval for the SAMPLE mean (not the mean, which was already given as 7 exactly). So, you want an interval ##[a,b]## with
[tex] \Pr \left( \bar{X} \in [a,b] \right) = 0.95[/tex]
In principle, the interval ##[a,b]## can have any location, but in practice it is almost always chosen to be symmetric about the mean true mean. Your formula does not reflect that. Do you see how you can modify it to satisfy the symmetry requirement?

Note: maybe you are confusing your problem with one in which the true mean ##\mu## is unknown but must also be estimated from the data itself.
please allow me to post the whole question here...
A government wants to study X , the time taken by an employee are chosen and the information obtained is summarised as sum of X= 70 , sum of X^2 = 522 ..
(i) Find unbiased estimate for mean and variance X
(2) If X is distributed normally and the variance of X is 4 . Calculate a 95% confidence interval for the mean of X .
the attached photo is the whole question and my attempt of the solution...
 

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  • #6
somecelxis said:
please allow me to post the whole question here...
A government wants to study X , the time taken by an employee are chosen and the information obtained is summarised as sum of X= 70 , sum of X^2 = 522 ..
(i) Find unbiased estimate for mean and variance X
(2) If X is distributed normally and the variance of X is 4 . Calculate a 95% confidence interval for the mean of X .
the attached photo is the whole question and my attempt of the solution...

Please do not post thumbnails; they are unreadable on some media. Anyway, why bother posting a thumbnail of the problem, as you seem to have written out the basics of the problem already? Now, just type out the solution.
 
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  • #7
Ray Vickson said:
Please do not post thumbnails; they are unreadable on some media. Anyway, why bother posting a thumbnail of the problem, as you seem to have written out the basics of the problem already? Now, just type out the solution.
i don't know how to use LATEX.
estimated mean = 70/10 = 7
estimated variance = 1/(10-1) x ( 522 - (70x70)/10 ) = 32/9
symmetrical interval = 7- 1.960 surd (4/10) , 7+ 1.960 surd (4/10)
 
  • #8
somecelxis said:
i don't know how to use LATEX.
estimated mean = 70/10 = 7
estimated variance = 1/(10-1) x ( 522 - (70x70)/10 ) = 32/9
symmetrical interval = 7- 1.960 surd (4/10) , 7+ 1.960 surd (4/10)

No need to use LaTeX; what you typed here is perfectly legible, although it is more usual to say sqrt(x) rather than surd(x).

BTW: your answer is correct.
 

FAQ: Solve Sampling Problems: 95% Interval for Mean of X

What is the purpose of calculating a 95% interval for the mean of X?

The purpose of calculating a 95% interval for the mean of X is to estimate the true population mean with a certain level of confidence. It allows us to determine a range of values within which the true mean is likely to fall.

How is the 95% interval for the mean of X calculated?

The 95% interval for the mean of X is calculated by taking a sample from the population, calculating the sample mean and standard deviation, and then using a formula to determine the upper and lower bounds of the interval. This formula takes into account the sample size, sample mean, and the standard error of the mean.

What does the 95% confidence level mean in the context of the interval for the mean of X?

The 95% confidence level means that if we were to take multiple samples from the same population and calculate a 95% interval for the mean of X for each sample, 95% of these intervals would contain the true population mean.

What factors can affect the width of the 95% interval for the mean of X?

The width of the 95% interval for the mean of X can be affected by the sample size, the variability of the population, and the desired level of confidence. A larger sample size and lower variability will result in a narrower interval, while a smaller sample size and higher variability will result in a wider interval.

Can the 95% interval for the mean of X be used for any type of data?

The 95% interval for the mean of X can be used for data that follows a normal distribution. If the data is not normally distributed, other methods such as a non-parametric confidence interval may need to be used.

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