Solved on Jan 08, 2024
Determine the 90% confidence interval for the true mean weight of a population of dogs, given the sample mean of 69 ounces and population standard deviation of 5.1 ounces.
STEP 1
Assumptions
1. The sample size () is 40.
2. The sample mean () is 69 ounces.
3. The population standard deviation () is 5.1 ounces.
4. The confidence level () is 90%.
5. We are assuming a normally distributed population or that the sample size is large enough for the Central Limit Theorem to apply.
STEP 2
To construct a confidence interval for the population mean, we will use the formula for a confidence interval when the population standard deviation is known:
where is the confidence interval, is the sample mean, is the z-score corresponding to the desired confidence level, is the population standard deviation, and is the sample size.
STEP 3
First, we need to find the z-score that corresponds to a 90% confidence level. Since the confidence interval is centered around the mean, we want the z-score that puts 5% of the distribution in each tail (since 100% - 90% = 10%, and 10%/2 = 5%).
STEP 4
We can look up the z-score for a 90% confidence interval in a standard normal distribution table, or use a calculator or software that provides this functionality.
STEP 5
The z-score that corresponds to the upper 5% of the standard normal distribution is approximately 1.645. This is because 50% + 40% (the confidence level) = 90%, so we look for the z-score that corresponds to the remaining 10% / 2 = 5% in the upper tail.
STEP 6
Now we can plug in the values into the confidence interval formula:
STEP 7
Calculate the standard error () by dividing the population standard deviation by the square root of the sample size:
STEP 8
Calculate the standard error:
STEP 9
Now, calculate the margin of error () by multiplying the z-score by the standard error:
STEP 10
Calculate the margin of error:
STEP 11
Finally, construct the confidence interval by subtracting and adding the margin of error from the sample mean:
STEP 12
Calculate the lower bound of the confidence interval:
STEP 13
Calculate the upper bound of the confidence interval:
STEP 14
Round the bounds to two decimal places:
The confidence interval for the true population mean dog weight is approximately ounces.
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