Known variance confidence intervals

Questions where the population variance or standard deviation is given or assumed known, requiring use of the normal distribution (z-values) for the confidence interval.

13 questions · Moderate -0.3

5.05d Confidence intervals: using normal distribution
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CAIE S2 2020 March Q2
5 marks Standard +0.3
2 Lengths of a certain species of lizard are known to be normally distributed with standard deviation 3.2 cm . A naturalist measures the lengths of a random sample of 100 lizards of this species and obtains an \(\alpha \%\) confidence interval for the population mean. He finds that the total width of this interval is 1.25 cm . Find \(\alpha\).
CAIE S2 2020 Specimen Q1
4 marks Moderate -0.5
1 Leaves from a certain type of tree have lengths that are distributed with standard deviation 3.2 cm . A random sample of 250 of these leaves is taken and the mean length of this sample is found to be 12.5 cm .
  1. Calculate a 99\% confidence interval for the population mean length.
  2. Write down the probability that the whole of a \(99 \%\) confidence interval will lie below the population mean.
Edexcel S3 2017 June Q6
7 marks Standard +0.8
6. A company produces a certain type of mug. The masses of these mugs are normally distributed with mean \(\mu\) and standard deviation 1.2 grams. A random sample of 5 mugs is taken and the mass, in grams, of each mug is measured. The results are given below. \section*{\(\begin{array} { l l l l l } 229.1 & 229.6 & 230.9 & 231.2 & 231.7 \end{array}\)}
  1. Find a \(95 \%\) confidence interval for \(\mu\), giving your limits correct to 1 decimal place. Sonia plans to take 20 random samples, each of 5 mugs. A 95\% confidence interval for \(\mu\) is to be determined for each sample.
  2. Find the probability that more than 3 of these intervals will not contain \(\mu\).
Edexcel S3 Specimen Q3
10 marks Moderate -0.3
3. A woodwork teacher measures the width, \(w \mathrm {~mm}\), of a board. The measured width, \(X \mathrm {~mm}\), is normally distributed with mean \(w \mathrm {~mm}\) and standard deviation 0.5 mm .
  1. Find the probability that \(X\) is within 0.6 mm of \(w\). The same board is measured 16 times and the results are recorded.
  2. Find the probability that the mean of these results is within 0.3 mm of \(w\). Given that the mean of these 16 measurements is 35.6 mm ,
  3. find a 98\% confidence interval for \(w\).
Edexcel S3 2008 June Q1
8 marks Moderate -0.8
  1. Some biologists were studying a large group of wading birds. A random sample of 36 were measured and the wing length, \(x \mathrm {~mm}\) of each wading bird was recorded. The results are summarised as follows
$$\sum x = 6046 \quad \sum x ^ { 2 } = 1016338$$
  1. Calculate unbiased estimates of the mean and the variance of the wing lengths of these birds. Given that the standard deviation of the wing lengths of this particular type of bird is actually 5.1 mm ,
  2. find a \(99 \%\) confidence interval for the mean wing length of the birds from this group.
Edexcel S3 2010 June Q3
10 marks Moderate -0.3
3. A woodwork teacher measures the width, \(w \mathrm {~mm}\), of a board. The measured width, \(X \mathrm {~mm}\), is normally distributed with mean \(w \mathrm {~mm}\) and standard deviation 0.5 mm .
  1. Find the probability that \(X\) is within 0.6 mm of \(w\). The same board is measured 16 times and the results are recorded.
  2. Find the probability that the mean of these results is within 0.3 mm of \(w\). Given that the mean of these 16 measurements is 35.6 mm ,
  3. find a \(98 \%\) confidence interval for \(w\).
AQA S1 2009 January Q5
8 marks Moderate -0.3
5 The times taken by new recruits to complete an assault course may be modelled by a normal distribution with a standard deviation of 8 minutes. A group of 30 new recruits takes a total time of 1620 minutes to complete the course.
  1. Calculate the mean time taken by these 30 new recruits.
  2. Assuming that the 30 recruits may be considered to be a random sample, construct a \(98 \%\) confidence interval for the mean time taken by new recruits to complete the course.
  3. Construct an interval within which approximately \(98 \%\) of the times taken by individual new recruits to complete the course will lie.
  4. State where, if at all, in this question you made use of the Central Limit Theorem.
AQA S1 2009 June Q6
11 marks Moderate -0.8
6
  1. The time taken, in minutes, by Domesat to install a domestic satellite system may be modelled by a normal distribution with unknown mean, \(\mu\), and standard deviation 15 . The times taken, in minutes, for a random sample of 10 installations are as follows. \(\begin{array} { l l l l l l l l l l } 47 & 39 & 25 & 51 & 47 & 36 & 63 & 41 & 78 & 43 \end{array}\) Construct a \(98 \%\) confidence interval for \(\mu\).
  2. The time taken, \(Y\) minutes, by Teleair to erect a TV aerial and then connect it to a TV is known to have a mean of 108 and a standard deviation of 28. Estimate the probability that the mean of a random sample of 40 observations of \(Y\) is more than 120 .
  3. Indicate, with a reason, where, if at all, in this question you made use of the Central Limit Theorem.
    (2 marks)
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AQA S1 2012 June Q7
9 marks Standard +0.3
7 The volume of bleach in a 5-litre bottle may be modelled by a random variable with a standard deviation of 75 millilitres. The volume, in litres, of bleach in each of a random sample of 36 such bottles was measured. The 36 measurements resulted in a total volume of 181.80 litres and exactly 8 bottles contained less than 5 litres.
  1. Construct a 98\% confidence interval for the mean volume of bleach in a 5-litre bottle.
  2. It is claimed that the mean volume of bleach in a 5-litre bottle exceeds 5 litres and also that fewer than 10 per cent of such bottles contain less than 5 litres. Comment, with numerical justification, on each of these two claims.
  3. State, with justification, whether you made use of the Central Limit Theorem in constructing the confidence interval in part (a).
AQA S1 2013 June Q6
16 marks Moderate -0.3
6 The weight, \(X\) kilograms, of sand in a bag can be modelled by a normal random variable with unknown mean \(\mu\) and known standard deviation 0.4 .
  1. The sand in each of a random sample of 25 bags from a large batch is weighed. The total weight of sand in these 25 bags is found to be 497.5 kg .
    1. Construct a 98\% confidence interval for the mean weight of sand in bags in the batch.
    2. Hence comment on the claim that bags in the batch contain an average of 20 kg of sand.
    3. State why use of the Central Limit Theorem is not required in answering part (a)(i).
  2. The weight, \(Y\) kilograms, of cement in a bag can be modelled by a normal random variable with mean 25.25 and standard deviation 0.35. A firm purchases 10 such bags. These bags may be considered to be a random sample.
    1. Determine the probability that the mean weight of cement in the 10 bags is less than 25 kg .
    2. Calculate the probability that the weight of cement in each of the 10 bags is more than 25 kg .
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Edexcel FS2 2019 June Q1
8 marks Moderate -0.3
1 A machine is set to fill pots with yoghurt such that the mean weight of yoghurt in a pot is 505 grams. To check that the machine is working properly, a random sample of 8 pots is selected. The weight of yoghurt, in grams, in each pot is as follows $$\begin{array} { l l l l l l l l } 508 & 510 & 500 & 500 & 498 & 503 & 508 & 505 \end{array}$$ Given that the weights of the yoghurt delivered by the machine follow a normal distribution with standard deviation 5.4 grams,
  1. find a \(95 \%\) confidence interval for the mean weight, \(\mu\) grams, of yoghurt in a pot. Give your answers to 2 decimal places.
  2. Comment on whether or not the machine is working properly, giving a reason for your answer.
  3. State the probability that a \(95 \%\) confidence interval for \(\mu\) will not contain \(\mu\) grams.
  4. Without carrying out any further calculations, explain the changes, if any, that would need to be made in calculating the confidence interval in part (a) if the standard deviation was unknown. Give a reason for your answer.
    You may assume that the weights of the yoghurt delivered by the machine still follow a normal distribution.
AQA S1 2010 January Q5
11 marks Moderate -0.3
5 In a random sample of 12 bags of flour, the weight, in grams, of flour in each bag was recorded as follows. \(\begin{array} { l l l l l l l l l l l l } 1011 & 995 & 1018 & 1022 & 1014 & 1005 & 1017 & 1015 & 993 & 1018 & 992 & 1020 \end{array}\)
  1. It may be assumed that the weight of flour in a bag is normally distributed with a standard deviation of 10.5 grams.
    1. Construct a \(98 \%\) confidence interval for the mean weight, \(\mu\) grams, of flour in a bag, giving the limits to four significant figures.
    2. State why, in constructing your confidence interval, use of the Central Limit Theorem was not necessary.
    3. If the distribution of the weight of flour in a bag was unknown, indicate a minimum number of weights that you would consider necessary for a confidence interval for \(\mu\) to be valid.
  2. The statement ' 1 kg ' is printed on each bag. Comment on this statement using both the confidence interval that you constructed in part (a)(i) and the weights of the given sample of 12 bags.
  3. Given that \(\mu = 1000\), state the probability that a \(98 \%\) confidence interval for \(\mu\) will not contain 1000.
    (l mark)
AQA Further AS Paper 2 Statistics 2024 June Q3
3 marks Moderate -0.8
3 The random variable \(X\) has a normal distribution with known variance 15.7 A random sample of size 120 is taken from \(X\) The sample mean is 68.2 Find a 94\% confidence interval for the population mean of \(X\) Give your limits to three significant figures.