College

In a similar survey, a sample mean of [tex]\$1.69[/tex] and a population standard deviation of 0.657 were found. If 50 people completed the survey, what is the [tex]80\%[/tex] confidence interval for the population mean?

A. [tex]1.69 \pm 0.156[/tex]
B. [tex]1.69 \pm 0.182[/tex]
C. [tex]1.69 \pm 0.119[/tex]
D. [tex]1.69 \pm 0.657[/tex]

Use the Standard Normal Distribution Z-Score Table if necessary.

Answer :

To construct an 80% confidence interval for the population mean, we start with the following information:

- Sample mean: [tex]$$\bar{x} = 1.69$$[/tex]
- Population standard deviation: [tex]$$\sigma = 0.657$$[/tex]
- Sample size: [tex]$$n = 50$$[/tex]

Step 1. Determine the critical [tex]$z$[/tex]-value.

For an 80% confidence interval, the total confidence in both tails is [tex]$$1 - 0.80 = 0.20.$$[/tex] Since the tail areas are symmetric, each tail has an area of [tex]$$\frac{0.20}{2} = 0.10.$$[/tex] Therefore, the critical [tex]$z$[/tex]-value corresponds to the 90th percentile of the standard normal distribution:
[tex]$$ z_{0.90} \approx 1.2816. $$[/tex]

Step 2. Compute the standard error (SE) of the sample mean.

The standard error is given by:
[tex]$$ SE = \frac{\sigma}{\sqrt{n}}. $$[/tex]
Substituting the values:
[tex]$$ SE = \frac{0.657}{\sqrt{50}} \approx 0.09291. $$[/tex]

Step 3. Calculate the margin of error (ME).

The margin of error is given by:
[tex]$$ ME = z \times SE. $$[/tex]
Substituting the values:
[tex]$$ ME = 1.2816 \times 0.09291 \approx 0.11907. $$[/tex]

Step 4. Construct the confidence interval.

The confidence interval for the population mean is given by:
[tex]$$ \bar{x} \pm ME. $$[/tex]
Thus, the interval is:
[tex]$$ 1.69 \pm 0.11907. $$[/tex]
Rounded to the precision given in the options, this is:
[tex]$$ 1.69 \pm 0.119. $$[/tex]

Final Answer:

The 80% confidence interval for the population mean is:
[tex]$$ 1.69 \pm 0.119. $$[/tex]