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9.05 Applications of confidence intervals

Interactive practice questions

In a sample of $350$350 people, it is found that only $1$1 has blood type B-negative.

a

Let $p$p represent the proportion of the population that have blood type B-negative.

Find an estimate for $p$p.

 

b

Find an approximate two-sided $95%$95% confidence interval for $p$p.

Give your answer as an interval in the form $\left(a,b\right)$(a,b), rounding all values to four decimal places.

c

Select the most appropriate interpretation of the confidence interval found in part (b).

We are $95%$95% confident that the probability that a person has blood type B-negative is contained within this interval.

A

The probability that a person has blood type B-negative is not contained within this interval.

B

The probability that a person has blood type B-negative is contained within this interval.

C

There is a $95%$95% chance that the probability that a person has blood type B-negative is contained within this interval.

D
d

One measure of the validity of a confidence interval is that the product of the sample size $n$n and the population proportion $p$p is greater than $5$5.

Estimate this product for the blood type sample.

e

Given the result of part (d), select the most appropriate statement below.

Since $np<5$np<5 for our estimate, we cannot be sure that the sampling distribution is approximately normal and so the confidence interval is not valid.

A

Since $np>5$np>5 for our estimate, we know that the sampling distribution is approximately normal and so the confidence interval is valid.

B
Medium
3min

Jimmy works on the top floor of a $50$50 storey building. The probability that the elevator will stop at another floor on its way up to his office is $p$p.

Jimmy has decided to test this probability by noting the outcome for every one of the $236$236 working days of the year, over five years. He records a $1$1 if the elevator does stop, and a $0$0 if it doesn't stop.

The average outcome for each year is shown in the table below.

Medium
2min

$30$30 hamburger patties advertised as being $180$180 g are weighed and the results are tabulated.

Medium
2min

A supermarket is surveying individuals to determine what proportion is moving towards online grocery shopping. A random sample is taken of $205$205 people, and $80$80 people regularly shop online.

Medium
2min
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Outcomes

4.3.8

use the approximate confidence interval [ ˆp-√(ˆp(1−ˆp)/n, ˆp+z√(ˆp(1−ˆp)/n), as an interval estimate for p, where z is the appropriate quantile for the standard normal distribution

4.3.9

define the approximate margin of error E=z√(ˆp (1−ˆp)/n and understand the trade-off between margin of error and level of confidence

4.3.10

use simulation to illustrate variations in confidence intervals between samples and to show that most but not all confidence intervals contain p

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