FINDING SAMPLE SIZE Instead of using Table 7-2 for determining the sample size required to estimate a population standard deviation σ, the following formula can also be used


$n=\frac{1}{2}{\left(\frac{z_{\alpha /2}}{d}\right)}^2$


where $z_{{}_{}\alpha /2}$ corresponds to the confidence level and d is the decimal form of the percentage error. For example, to be 95% confident that s is within 15% of the value of σ, use zα/2=1.96 and d=0.15 to get a sample size of n=86. Find the sample size required to estimate the standard deviation of IQ scores of data scientists, assuming that we want 98% confidence that s is within 5% of σ.

Degrees of Freedom For Example 1, we used df=smaller of n1-1 and n2-1 we got df=11 and the corresponding critical value is t=-1.796 (found from Table A-4). If we calculate df using Formula 9-1, we get df=19.370 and the corresponding critical value is t=-1.727 How is using the critical value of t=-1.796 “more conservative” than using the critical value of t=-1.727

Alcohol in Children’s Movies Listed below is a simple random sample of times (seconds) that animated children’s movies showed the use of alcohol (based on Data Set 20 “Alcohol and Tobacco in Movies” in Appendix B).

a. Are the requirements for constructing a 95% confidence interval estimate of the population mean satisfied? If so, construct that confidence interval.

Tour de France Listed below are the average speeds (km/h) of winners of the Tour de France men’s bicycle race. The speeds are listed in order by year, beginning with the year 2000.

a. Construct a 95% confidence interval estimate of the population mean.

Pulse Rates of Women and Men Using the samples of women and men included in Data Set 1 “Body Data,” we get this 95% confidence interval estimate of the difference between the population mean of pulse rates (bpm) of women and the population mean of pulse rates (bpm) of men: 1.7 bpm < u1-u2 < 7.2bpm. In this confidence interval, women correspond to population 1 and men correspond to population 2.

a. What does the confidence interval suggest about equality of the mean pulse rate of women and the mean pulse rate of men?

Mint Specs Listed below are weights (grams) from a simple random sample of pennies produced after 1983 (from Data Set 40 “Coin Weights” in Appendix B).

b. How does the result compare to the confidence interval found in Exercise 14 in Section 7-3?

Caffeine in Soft Drinks Listed below are measured amounts of caffeine (mg per 12 oz of drink) obtained in one can from each of 20 brands (7UP, A&W Root Beer, Cherry Coke, . . . , TaB).

b. Given that Exercise 20 in Section 7-2 used the same data for a 99% confidence interval based on use of the t distribution, and given that the data do not appear to be from a normally distributed population, which confidence interval is likely to be better: The confidence interval from part (a) or the confidence interval found in Exercise 20 in Section 7-2?

Estimating the Median Use the sample data listed in Exercise 1 “Bootstrap Requirements” to generate 1000 bootstrap samples, and find the median in each of those samples. After obtaining the 1000 sample medians, find the 95% confidence interval estimate of the population median by evaluating p2.5 and p97.5 from the sorted 1000 medians. Given that the sample times in Exercise 1 are from the 50 times in Data Set 20 “Alcohol and Tobacco in Movies” and those 50 times have a median of 5.5, how well did the bootstrap method work to create a “good” confidence interval?

Bachelor’s Degree in Four Years In a study of government financial aid for college students, it becomes necessary to estimate the percentage of full-time college students who earn a bachelor’s degree in four years or less. Find the sample size needed to estimate that percentage. Use a 0.1 margin of error, and use a confidence level of 95%.

a. Assume that nothing is known about the percentage to be estimated.