CONFIDENCE LEVEL

&
SAMPLE SIZE
SESSION 16
Range = 96 – 65
= 31 96
96

86
86 81
81 91
91

80
80 91
91 65
65

92
92 84
84 78
78

St.
Claus
OBJECTIVES
• identifies the length of a confidence interval
• computes for the length of the confidence interval
• computes for an appropriate sample size using the length of the
interval
• solves problems involving sample size determination
 REVIEW
• Which of the 2 is considered as an interval?
a. (x, y) b. (x1, x2)
Interval
Coordinate
- What is the
interval?
- What is the range
x1 x2 of the interval?
REVIEW
•  
Interval Estimate
A range of values that may contain the parameter of a
population.
Margin of Error
E=
 LENGTH OF INTERVAL
•  the confidence interval is given, then the length of an interval can be determined using
If
.
If the confidence interval is not given, then the length of an interval can be determined by

For t-distribution and

= population proportion,
corresponding expressions
= = will be used.
 n,SAMPLE SIZE SOLVING
•  
From the margin of error formulas, derive n:
Population Mean Population Proportion
E=   E=
 n,SAMPLE SIZE SOLVING
•  
From the margin of error formulas, derive n:
Population Mean Population Proportion
E= E=

 
 EXAMPLE 1
A marketing officer is 99% confident that their usual female customers have a mean height
of 166 cm to 174 cm. How long is the interval?
166cm
174cm
  U = 174 cm L = 166 cm

The confidence interval has a length of 8 cm.

EXAMPLE 2
A Civil Engineer is 99% confident that the I-Beams they will use for constructing a building
have a mean length of 11 ft to 24 ft. How long is the interval?

  U = 24 ft L = 11 ft

The confidence interval has a length of 13 ft

 EXAMPLE 3
A stage director is 99% confident that all the females that auditioned for a play have a
mean height of 166 cm to 174 cm. How long is the interval?

174cm
  U = 174 cm L = 166 cm
166cm

The confidence interval has a length of 8 cm.

 EXAMPLE 4
A researcher wants to estimate the number of hours that 5-year old children spend watching television. A sample of 50
five-year old children was observed to have a mean viewing time of 3 hours. The population is normally distributed with
a population standard deviation of 0.5 hours at 95% confidence interval of the population mean, how long is the
confidence interval?
 SOLUTION:
 Confidence Interval is not given, therefore we use:
Length = or Length =
GIVEN: = 3.138592929 2.861407071
n = 50, = 3 hours, = 0.5 hours, z = 1.960 Length = 0.2772 or 0.28 hours
REQUIRED:
Length
 EXAMPLE 5
•Jung
  Joon-hyung wants to replicate a study where the lowest observed value is 12.4 while the highest is 12.8. He
wants to estimate the population mean to within an error of 0.025 of its true value. Using 99% confidence level,
find the sample size that he needs.  SOLUTION:
 GIVEN: Solve for
According to the Range Rule of Thumb, the Range, R, is about 4 times
L = 12.4 U = 12.8 E = 0.025 = 2.576 the Standard Deviation, , therefore R = 4

REQUIRED: =
𝑈 − 𝐿 12.8− 12.4 0.4
¿  = = =0.1
n 4 4 4
 
 EXAMPLE 6
Mary wants to know, with 95% confidence, the proportion of households who like to use detergent X. A
previous survey showed that 42% like to use detergent X. Mary likes to be accurate within 2% of the true
proportion. What sample size does Mary need?

 GIVEN:  SOLUTION:

z = 1.960, = 0.42, E = 0.02 Solve for

= 1 – 0.42 = 0.58
REQUIRED:

n
SAMPLE SIZE WHEN ESTIMATING A POPULATION
PROPORTION
•In  computing the sample size for estimating a population proportion, there are two situations to bear in
mind:
1. If some approximation of is known, that value may be used in the formula.
2. If no approximation is known, use = 0.5. This value will result in a sample size large enough to
guarantee prediction, given the confidence interval and the error of estimate. The reason is that when and
are 0.5 each, this will give the maximum product of proportions.
 FOOD FOR THOUGHT…
HOW MUCH OF SOMETHING SHOULD YOU HAVE?

NEEDLESSLY LARGE SAMPLES ARE A WASTE OF IMPORTANT RESOURCES…

INSUFFICIENT SAMPLES MAY ALSO LEAD TO POOR RESULTS…

KNOW WHAT YOU ONLY NEED.