Sample size determination

A question is this type if and only if it asks for the minimum sample size needed to achieve a specified confidence interval width or probability condition.

6 questions

Edexcel S3 2018 June Q3
  1. A random sample of repair times, in hours, was taken for an electronic component. The 4 observed times are shown below.
    1.3
    1.7
    1.4
    1.8
    1. Calculate unbiased estimates of the mean and the variance of the population of repair times for this electronic component.
    The population standard deviation of the repair times for this electronic component is known to be 0.5 hours. An estimate of the population mean is required to be within 0.1 hours of its true value with a probability of at least 0.99
  2. Find the minimum sample size required.
AQA S3 2009 June Q3
3 The proportion, \(p\), of an island's population with blood type \(\mathrm { A } \mathrm { Rh } ^ { + }\)is believed to be approximately 0.35 . A medical organisation, requiring a more accurate estimate, specifies that a \(98 \%\) confidence interval for \(p\) should have a width of at most 0.1 . Calculate, to the nearest 10, an estimate of the minimum sample size necessary in order to achieve the organisation's requirement.
AQA S3 2011 June Q4
4
The waiting time at a hospital's A\&E department may be modelled by a normal distribution with mean \(\mu\) and standard deviation \(\frac { \mu } { 2 }\).
The department's manager wishes a \(95 \%\) confidence interval for \(\mu\) to be constructed such that it has a width of at most \(0.2 \mu\).
Calculate, to the nearest 10, an estimate of the minimum sample size necessary in order to achieve the manager's wish.
(5 marks)
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AQA S3 2012 June Q5
5 A random sample of 125 people was selected from a council's electoral roll. Of these, 68 were in favour of a proposed local building plan.
  1. Construct an approximate 98\% confidence interval for the percentage of people on the council's electoral roll who were in favour of the proposal.
  2. Calculate, to the nearest 5, an estimate of the minimum sample size necessary in order that an approximate \(98 \%\) confidence interval for the percentage of people on the council's electoral roll who were in favour of the proposal has a width of at most 10 per cent.
AQA S3 2007 June Q4
4 A machine is used to fill 5-litre plastic containers with vinegar. The volume, in litres, of vinegar in a container filled by the machine may be assumed to be normally distributed with mean \(\mu\) and standard deviation 0.08 . A quality control inspector requires a \(99 \%\) confidence interval for \(\mu\) to be constructed such that it has a width of at most 0.05 litres. Calculate, to the nearest 5, the sample size necessary in order to achieve the inspector's requirement.
AQA Further AS Paper 2 Statistics 2022 June Q4
4 The height of lilac trees, in metres, can be modelled by a normal distribution with variance 0.7 A random sample of \(n\) lilac trees is taken and used to construct a 99\% confidence interval for the population mean. This confidence interval is \(( 5.239,5.429 )\)
4
  1. Find the value of \(n\)
    4
  2. Joey claims that the mean height of lilac trees is 5.3 metres.
    State, with a reason, whether the confidence interval supports Joey's claim.