Question

A random sample of 250 students at a university finds that these students take a mean of 15.2 credit hours per quarter with a standard deviation of 2.3 credit hours. Estimate the mean credit hours taken by a student each quarter using a 95% confidence interval. Round to the nearest thousandth.

Answer 1

Answer:

95% confidence interval for the mean credit hours taken by a student each quarter is [14.915 hours , 15.485 hours].

Step-by-step explanation:

We are given that a random sample of 250 students at a university finds that these students take a mean of 15.2 credit hours per quarter with a standard deviation of 2.3 credit hours.

Firstly, the pivotal quantity for 95% confidence interval for the population mean is given by;

                          P.Q. = $\frac{\bar X-\mu}{\frac{s}{\sqrt{n} } }$  ~ $t_n_-_1$

where, $\bar X$ = sample credit hours per quarter = 15.2 credit hours

             s = sample standard deviation = 2.3 credit hours

             n = sample of students = 250

             $\mu$ = population mean credit hours per quarter

Here for constructing 95% confidence interval we have used One-sample t test statistics as we know don't about population standard deviation.

So, 95% confidence interval for the population mean, $\mu$ is ;

P(-1.96 < $t_2_4_9$ < 1.96) = 0.95  {As the critical value of t at 249 degree of

                                        freedom are -1.96 & 1.96 with P = 2.5%}  

P(-1.96 < $\frac{\bar X-\mu}{\frac{s}{\sqrt{n} } }$ < 1.96) = 0.95

P( $-1.96 \times {\frac{s}{\sqrt{n} } }$ < ${\bar X-\mu}$ < $1.96 \times {\frac{s}{\sqrt{n} } }$ ) = 0.95

P( $\bar X-1.96 \times {\frac{s}{\sqrt{n} } }$ < $\mu$ < $\bar X+1.96 \times {\frac{s}{\sqrt{n} } }$ ) = 0.95

95% confidence interval for $\mu$ = [ $\bar X-1.96 \times {\frac{s}{\sqrt{n} } }$ , $\bar X+1.96 \times {\frac{s}{\sqrt{n} } }$ ]

                  = [ $15.2-1.96 \times {\frac{2.3}{\sqrt{250} } }$ , $15.2+1.96 \times {\frac{2.3}{\sqrt{250} } }$ ]

                  = [14.915 hours , 15.485 hours]

Therefore, 95% confidence interval for the mean credit hours taken by a student each quarter is [14.915 hours , 15.485 hours].

The interpretation of the above confidence interval is that we are 95% confident that the true mean credit hours taken by a student each quarter will be between 14.915 credit hours and 15.485 credit hours.