For a random sample of 50 measurements on the breaking strength of cotton threads, the mean breaking strength was found to be 210 grams and the standard deviation 18 grams. Obtain a confidence interval for the true mean breaking strength of cotton threads of this type, with confidence coefficient 0.99.

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Answer:

The 99% confidence interval is given by (203.178;216.822)

Step-by-step explanation:

1) Previous concepts

A confidence interval is "a range of values that’s likely to include a population value with a certain degree of confidence. It is often expressed a % whereby a population means lies between an upper and lower interval".

The margin of error is the range of values below and above the sample statistic in a confidence interval.

Normal distribution, is a "probability distribution that is symmetric about the mean, showing that data near the mean are more frequent in occurrence than data far from the mean".

[tex]\bar X=210[/tex] represent the sample mean  

[tex]\mu[/tex] population mean (variable of interest)

s=18 represent the sample standard deviation

n=50 represent the sample size  

2) Confidence interval

The confidence interval for the mean is given by the following formula:

[tex]\bar X \pm t_{\alpha/2}\frac{s}{\sqrt{n}}[/tex]   (1)

In order to calculate the critical value [tex]t_{\alpha/2}[/tex] we need to find first the degrees of freedom, given by:

[tex]df=n-1=50-1=49[/tex]

Since the Confidence is 0.99 or 99%, the value of [tex]\alpha=0.01[/tex] and [tex]\alpha/2 =0.005[/tex], and we can use excel, a calculator or a table to find the critical value. The excel command would be: "=-T.INV(0.005,49)".And we see that [tex]t_{\alpha/2}=2.68[/tex]

Now we have everything in order to replace into formula (1):

[tex]210-2.68\frac{18}{\sqrt{50}}=203.178[/tex]    

[tex]210+2.68\frac{18}{\sqrt{50}}=216.822[/tex]

So on this case the 99% confidence interval would be given by (203.178;216.822)