College

The high temperatures (in degrees Fahrenheit) of a random sample of 7 small towns are:

[tex]
\[
\begin{array}{|r|}
\hline
99.5 \\
\hline
97.3 \\
\hline
99.4 \\
\hline
96.4 \\
\hline
99.0 \\
\hline
97.2 \\
\hline
97.4 \\
\hline
\end{array}
\]
[/tex]

Assume high temperatures are normally distributed. Based on this data, find the 99% confidence interval of the mean high temperature of the towns. Enter your answer as an open interval (i.e., parentheses) accurate to two decimal places (because the sample data are reported accurate to one decimal place).

99% C.I. = [tex]$\square$[/tex]

Note: The answer should be obtained without any preliminary rounding. However, the critical value may be rounded to 3 decimal places.

Answer :

To find the 99% confidence interval of the mean high temperature for the given sample of small towns, we'll follow these steps:

1. List the given temperatures:
- 99.5, 97.3, 99.4, 96.4, 99.0, 97.2, 97.4

2. Calculate the sample size ([tex]\(n\)[/tex]):
- There are 7 towns, so [tex]\(n = 7\)[/tex].

3. Find the sample mean ([tex]\(\bar{x}\)[/tex]):
- The mean of these temperatures is approximately 98.03.

4. Calculate the sample standard deviation (s):
- The standard deviation is approximately 1.24.

5. Set the significance level ([tex]\(\alpha\)[/tex]):
- For a 99% confidence interval, [tex]\(\alpha = 1 - 0.99 = 0.01\)[/tex].

6. Determine the critical t-value:
- Since the sample size is small (less than 30), we use the t-distribution.
- With [tex]\(n - 1 = 6\)[/tex] degrees of freedom and a confidence level of 99%, the critical t-value is approximately 3.707.

7. Calculate the margin of error (E):
- [tex]\( E = \text{critical t-value} \times \left(\frac{s}{\sqrt{n}}\right) \)[/tex]
- [tex]\( E \approx 3.707 \times \left(\frac{1.24}{\sqrt{7}}\right) \approx 1.74\)[/tex]

8. Determine the confidence interval:
- Lower limit = [tex]\(\bar{x} - E \approx 98.03 - 1.74 = 96.29\)[/tex]
- Upper limit = [tex]\(\bar{x} + E \approx 98.03 + 1.74 = 99.77\)[/tex]

Therefore, the 99% confidence interval for the mean high temperature of the towns is approximately [tex]\((96.29, 99.77)\)[/tex]. This means we are 99% confident that the true mean high temperature lies within this interval.