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Midterm Exam 2 Question 4 of 8 (1 point) Time Remaining:1:17:22 1 hour 17 minutes 22 seconds remaining

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Question 4 The scores on an examination in biology are approximately normally distributed with mean 500 and an unknown standard deviation. The following is a random sample of scores from this examination. 435, 453, 473, 537, 559, 603

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Send data to Excel Find a 90% confidence interval for the population standard deviation. Then give its lower limit and upper limit. Carry your intermediate computations to at least three decimal places. Round your answers to at least two decimal places. (If necessary, consult a list of formulas.)

Lower limit: Upper limit:

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Solution

To find a 90% confidence interval for the population standard deviation based on the sample provided, we can use the Chi-square distribution. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to calculate the confidence interval:

Step 1: List the given data

  • Sample dataTo find a 90% confidence interval for the population standard deviation based on the sample provided, we can use the Chi-square distribution. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to calculate the confidence interval:

Step 1: List the given data

  • Sample 435, 453, 473, 537, 559, 603
  • Mean (μ\mu) = 500
  • Confidence level = 90%
  • Sample size (nn) = 6

Step 2: Calculate the sample variance

The sample variance (s2s^2) is given by:

s2=1n1(xixˉ)2s^2 = \frac{1}{n-1} \sum (x_i - \bar{x})^2

where xˉ\bar{x} is the sample mean, and xix_i are the individual data points.

  1. Compute the sample mean (xˉ\bar{x}):

xˉ=435+453+473+537+559+6036=510\bar{x} = \frac{435 + 453 + 473 + 537 + 559 + 603}{6} = 510

  1. Compute the squared deviations from the mean and sum them up:

(435510)2=5625(435 - 510)^2 = 5625 (453510)2=3249(453 - 510)^2 = 3249 (473510)2=1369(473 - 510)^2 = 1369 (537510)2=729(537 - 510)^2 = 729 (559510)2=2401(559 - 510)^2 = 2401 (603510)2=8649(603 - 510)^2 = 8649

Sum of squared deviations=5625+3249+1369+729+2401+8649=22022\text{Sum of squared deviations} = 5625 + 3249 + 1369 + 729 + 2401 + 8649 = 22022

  1. Calculate the sample variance:

s2=2202261=220225=4404.4s^2 = \frac{22022}{6-1} = \frac{22022}{5} = 4404.4

  1. The sample standard deviation (ss) is:

s=4404.4=66.37s = \sqrt{4404.4} = 66.37

Step 3: Use the Chi-square distribution

The confidence interval for the population variance is calculated using the formula:

((n1)s2χα/22,(n1)s2χ1α/22)\left( \frac{(n-1)s^2}{\chi^2_{\alpha/2}}, \frac{(n-1)s^2}{\chi^2_{1-\alpha/2}} \right)

For a 90% confidence interval, α=0.10\alpha = 0.10, so:

α/2=0.05\alpha/2 = 0.05

Using a Chi-square table with n1=5n-1 = 5 degrees of freedom:

  • χ0.052\chi^2_{0.05} = 11.070
  • χ0.952\chi^2_{0.95} = 0.831

Step 4: Calculate the confidence interval for variance

Now, substitute into the formula for variance:

Lower limit for variance:

(61)×4404.411.070=5×4404.411.070=2202211.070=1989.27\frac{(6-1) \times 4404.4}{11.070} = \frac{5 \times 4404.4}{11.070} = \frac{22022}{11.070} = 1989.27

Upper limit for variance:

(61)×4404.40.831=220220.831=26500.60\frac{(6-1) \times 4404.4}{0.831} = \frac{22022}{0.831} = 26500.60

Step 5: Confidence interval for the standard deviation

To find the confidence interval for the standard deviation, take the square root of both limits:

  • Lower limit: 1989.27=44.60\sqrt{1989.27} = 44.60
  • Upper limit: 26500.60=162.77\sqrt{26500.60} = 162.77

Final Answer:

  • Lower limit: 44.60
  • Upper limit: 162.77

Would you like more details or have any questions? Here are some related questions to consider:

  1. What is the role of the Chi-square distribution in calculating confidence intervals?
  2. How does the sample size affect the confidence interval for the standard deviation?
  3. What happens to the confidence interval if the confidence level is increased?
  4. Can the confidence interval for the population mean also be calculated from the same data?
  5. How do you interpret a 90% confidence interval in practice?

Tip: When working with confidence intervals, always ensure that your degrees of freedom and significance level match the appropriate distribution table.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Statistics
Confidence Interval
Chi-square Distribution
Standard Deviation
Variance

Formulas

Sample variance: s^2 = (1 / (n-1)) * Σ(x_i - x̄)^2
Confidence interval for variance: ((n-1)s^2 / χ²_α/2, (n-1)s^2 / χ²_(1-α/2))
Confidence interval for standard deviation: sqrt(lower limit variance), sqrt(upper limit variance)

Theorems

Chi-square Distribution Theorem

Suitable Grade Level

Undergraduate