Math Problem Statement

A researcher collected sample data for 16 middle-aged women. The sample had a mean serum cholesterol level (measured in milligrams per one hundred milliliters) of 191.5, with a standard deviation of 6.4. Assuming that serum cholesterol levels for middle-aged women are normally distributed, find a 95% confidence interval for the mean serum cholesterol level of all women in this age group. Give the lower limit and upper limit of the 95% confidence interval.

Solution

To calculate the 95% confidence interval for the mean serum cholesterol level in this case, we can follow these steps:

  1. Identify the given values:

    • Sample mean (xˉ)=191.5(\bar{x}) = 191.5
    • Sample standard deviation (s)=6.4(s) = 6.4
    • Sample size (n)=16(n) = 16
    • Confidence level = 95%
  2. Determine the t-score for a 95% confidence interval with n1=15n - 1 = 15 degrees of freedom. For 95% confidence, the t-score for 15 degrees of freedom is approximately t2.131t \approx 2.131.

  3. Calculate the standard error of the mean (SEM): SEM=sn=6.416=6.44=1.6\text{SEM} = \frac{s}{\sqrt{n}} = \frac{6.4}{\sqrt{16}} = \frac{6.4}{4} = 1.6

  4. Calculate the margin of error (ME): ME=t×SEM=2.131×1.6=3.4096\text{ME} = t \times \text{SEM} = 2.131 \times 1.6 = 3.4096

  5. Determine the confidence interval:

    • Lower limit = xˉME=191.53.4096=188.1\bar{x} - \text{ME} = 191.5 - 3.4096 = 188.1 (rounded to one decimal place)
    • Upper limit = xˉ+ME=191.5+3.4096=194.9\bar{x} + \text{ME} = 191.5 + 3.4096 = 194.9 (rounded to one decimal place)

Answer:

  • Lower limit: 188.1
  • Upper limit: 194.9

Would you like further details or have any questions about this calculation?

Here are five related questions to explore further:

  1. How does the sample size affect the width of the confidence interval?
  2. What would change if we used a 99% confidence interval instead of 95%?
  3. How is a t-score different from a z-score, and when should each be used?
  4. What assumptions are necessary for this confidence interval to be valid?
  5. How would the confidence interval change if the standard deviation were larger?

Tip: For small sample sizes, use the t-distribution instead of the z-distribution to account for the increased variability.

Ask a new question for Free

By Image

Drop file here or Click Here to upload

Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Statistics
Confidence Intervals
T-Distribution

Formulas

Confidence Interval formula: CI = x̄ ± (t * (s / √n))
Standard Error formula: SEM = s / √n
Margin of Error formula: ME = t * SEM

Theorems

Central Limit Theorem
Properties of T-Distribution

Suitable Grade Level

Undergraduate Statistics