A sample dataset of 567 has a mean of 12.3 with a standard deviation of 0.7. What is the 95 percent confidence interval? Round the answer to the nearest hundredth.

Use the table to find the critical value.
Confidence Level c Critical Value z
c


0.95 1.96
0.98 2.33
0.99 2.58

1 answer

To calculate the 95 percent confidence interval for the mean, you can use the following formula:

\[ \text{Confidence Interval} = \text{Mean} \pm (z \times \frac{\sigma}{\sqrt{n}}) \]

Where:

  • \(\text{Mean} = 12.3\)
  • \(z\) is the critical value for a 95% confidence level, which is \(1.96\)
  • \(\sigma = 0.7\) (standard deviation)
  • \(n = 567\) (sample size)

First, calculate the standard error (SE):

\[ SE = \frac{\sigma}{\sqrt{n}} = \frac{0.7}{\sqrt{567}} \]

Calculating \(\sqrt{567}\):

\[ \sqrt{567} \approx 23.811 \]

Now substitute this back into the formula for standard error:

\[ SE \approx \frac{0.7}{23.811} \approx 0.0294 \]

Now, calculate the margin of error (ME):

\[ ME = z \times SE = 1.96 \times 0.0294 \approx 0.0576 \]

Finally, calculate the confidence interval:

\[ \text{Lower Limit} = \text{Mean} - ME = 12.3 - 0.0576 \approx 12.2424 \]

\[ \text{Upper Limit} = \text{Mean} + ME = 12.3 + 0.0576 \approx 12.3576 \]

Rounding to the nearest hundredth, the confidence interval is:

\[ \text{Confidence Interval} \approx (12.24, 12.36) \]

So, the final 95 percent confidence interval is (12.24, 12.36).