Confidence interval with known population standard deviation

Questions where the population standard deviation (or variance) is explicitly given or stated as known, requiring use of the normal distribution directly.

14 questions · Moderate -0.3

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CAIE S2 2003 June Q3
6 marks Moderate -0.8
3 A consumer group, interested in the mean fat content of a particular type of sausage, takes a random sample of 20 sausages and sends them away to be analysed. The percentage of fat in each sausage is as follows. $$\begin{array} { l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l } 26 & 27 & 28 & 28 & 28 & 29 & 29 & 30 & 30 & 31 & 32 & 32 & 32 & 33 & 33 & 34 & 34 & 34 & 35 & 35 \end{array}$$ Assume that the percentage of fat is normally distributed with mean \(\mu\), and that the standard deviation is known to be 3 .
  1. Calculate a 98\% confidence interval for the population mean percentage of fat.
  2. The manufacturer claims that the mean percentage of fat in sausages of this type is 30 . Use your answer to part (i) to determine whether the consumer group should accept this claim.
Edexcel S3 2022 January Q1
10 marks Moderate -0.3
  1. The weights, \(x \mathrm {~kg}\), of each of 10 watermelons selected at random from Priya's shop were recorded. The results are summarised as follows
$$\sum x = 114.2 \quad \sum x ^ { 2 } = 1310.464$$
  1. Calculate unbiased estimates of the mean and the variance of the weights of the watermelons in Priya’s shop. Priya researches the weight of watermelons, for the variety she has in her shop, and discovers that the weights of these watermelons are normally distributed with a standard deviation of 0.8 kg
  2. Calculate a \(95 \%\) confidence interval for the mean weight of watermelons in Priya’s shop. Give the limits of your confidence interval to 2 decimal places. Priya claims that the confidence interval in part (b) suggests that nearly all of the watermelons in her shop weigh more than 10.5 kg
  3. Use your answer to part (b) to estimate the smallest proportion of watermelons in her shop that weigh less than 10.5 kg
Edexcel S3 2023 January Q6
10 marks Moderate -0.3
6 A garden centre sells bags of stones and large bags of gravel.
The weight, \(X\) kilograms, of stones in a bag can be modelled by a normal distribution with unknown mean \(\mu\) and known standard deviation 0.4 The stones in each of a random sample of 36 bags from a large batch is weighed. The total weight of stones in these 36 bags is found to be 806.4 kg
  1. Find a 98\% confidence interval for the mean weight of stones in the batch.
  2. Explain why the use of the Central Limit theorem is not required to answer part (a) The manufacturer of these bags of stones claims that bags in this batch have a mean weight of 22.5 kg
  3. Using your answer to part (a), comment on the claim made by the manufacturer. The weight, \(Y\) kilograms, of gravel in a large bag can be modelled by a normal distribution with mean 850 kg and standard deviation 5 kg A builder purchases 10 large bags of gravel.
  4. Find the probability that the mean weight of gravel in the 10 large bags is less than 848 kg
Edexcel S3 2021 October Q5
8 marks Standard +0.3
  1. Assam produces bags of flour. The stated weight printed on the bags of flour is 3 kg . The weights of the bags of flour are normally distributed with standard deviation 0.015 kg .
Assam weighs a random sample of 9 bags of flour and finds their mean weight is 2.977 kg .
  1. Calculate the \(99 \%\) confidence interval for the mean weight of a bag of flour. Give your limits to 3 decimal places. Assam decides to increase the amount of flour put into the bags.
  2. Explain why the confidence interval has led Assam to take this action. After the increase a random sample of \(n\) bags of flour is taken. The sample mean weight of these \(n\) bags is 2.995 kg . A \(95 \%\) confidence interval for \(\mu\) gave a lower limit of less than 2.991 kg .
  3. Find the maximum value of \(n\).
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Edexcel S3 2006 January Q3
12 marks Moderate -0.3
3. The drying times of paint can be assumed to be normally distributed. A paint manufacturer paints 10 test areas with a new paint. The following drying times, to the nearest minute, were recorded. $$82 , \quad 98 , \quad 140 , \quad 110 , \quad 90 , \quad 125 , \quad 150 , \quad 130 , \quad 70 , \quad 110 .$$
  1. Calculate unbiased estimates for the mean and the variance of the population of drying times of this paint. Given that the population standard deviation is 25 ,
  2. find a 95\% confidence interval for the mean drying time of this paint. Fifteen similar sets of tests are done and the \(95 \%\) confidence interval is determined for each set.
  3. Estimate the expected number of these 15 intervals that will enclose the true value of the population mean \(\mu\).
Edexcel S3 2002 June Q7
17 marks Moderate -0.3
7. The weights of tubs of margarine are known to be normally distributed. A random sample of 10 tubs of margarine were weighed, to the nearest gram, and the results were as follows. $$\begin{array} { l l l l l l l l l l } 498 & 502 & 500 & 496 & 509 & 504 & 511 & 497 & 506 & 499 \end{array}$$
  1. Find unbiased estimates of the mean and the variance of the population from which this sample was taken. Given that the population standard deviation is 5.0 g ,
  2. estimate limits, to 2 decimal places, between which \(90 \%\) of the weights of the tubs lie,
  3. find a \(95 \%\) confidence interval for the mean weight of the tubs. A second random sample of 15 tubs was found to have a mean weight of 501.9 g .
  4. Stating your hypotheses clearly and using a \(1 \%\) level of significance, test whether or not the mean weight of these tubs is greater than 500 g .
Edexcel S3 2003 June Q2
8 marks Moderate -0.5
2. A random sample of 30 apples was taken from a batch. The mean weight of the sample was 124 g with standard deviation 20 g .
  1. Find a \(99 \%\) confidence interval for the mean weight \(\mu\) grams of the population of apples. Write down any assumptions you made in your calculations. Given that the actual value of \(\mu\) is 140 ,
  2. state, with a reason, what you can conclude about the sample of 30 apples.
Edexcel S3 2009 June Q1
6 marks Moderate -0.8
  1. A telephone directory contains 50000 names. A researcher wishes to select a systematic sample of 100 names from the directory.
    1. Explain in detail how the researcher should obtain such a sample.
    2. Give one advantage and one disadvantage of
      1. quota sampling,
      2. systematic sampling.
    3. The heights of a random sample of 10 imported orchids are measured. The mean height of the sample is found to be 20.1 cm . The heights of the orchids are normally distributed.
    Given that the population standard deviation is 0.5 cm ,
  2. estimate limits between which \(95 \%\) of the heights of the orchids lie,
  3. find a 98\% confidence interval for the mean height of the orchids. A grower claims that the mean height of this type of orchid is 19.5 cm .
  4. Comment on the grower's claim. Give a reason for your answer.
Edexcel S3 2014 June Q7
10 marks Standard +0.3
7. A petrol pump is tested regularly to check that the reading on its gauge is accurate. The random variable \(X\), in litres, is the quantity of petrol actually dispensed when the gauge reads 10.00 litres. \(X\) is known to have distribution \(X \sim \mathrm {~N} \left( \mu , 0.08 ^ { 2 } \right)\)
  1. Eight random tests gave the following values of \(x\) $$\begin{array} { l l l l l l l l } 10.01 & 9.97 & 9.93 & 9.99 & 9.90 & 9.95 & 10.13 & 9.94 \end{array}$$
    1. Find a 95\% confidence interval for \(\mu\) to 2 decimal places.
    2. Use your result to comment on the accuracy of the petrol gauge.
  2. A sample mean of 9.96 litres was obtained from a random sample of \(n\) tests. A \(90 \%\) confidence interval for \(\mu\) gave an upper limit of less than 10.00 litres. Find the minimum value of \(n\).
Edexcel S3 2017 June Q5
10 marks Moderate -0.3
5. Paul takes the company bus to work. According to the bus timetable he should arrive at work at 0831. Paul believes the bus is not reliable and often arrives late. Paul decides to test the arrival time of the bus and carries out a survey. He records the values of the random variable $$X = \text { number of minutes after } 0831 \text { when the bus arrives. }$$ His results are summarised below. $$n = 15 \quad \sum x = 60 \quad \sum x ^ { 2 } = 1946$$
  1. Calculate unbiased estimates of the mean, \(\mu\), and the variance of \(X\). Using the mean of Paul's sample and given \(X \sim \mathrm {~N} \left( \mu , 10 ^ { 2 } \right)\)
    1. calculate a 95\% confidence interval for the mean arrival time at work for this company bus.
    2. State an assumption you made about the values in the sample obtained by Paul.
  2. Comment on Paul's belief. Justify your answer.
AQA S1 2008 January Q3
8 marks Moderate -0.3
3 The height, in metres, of adult male African elephants may be assumed to be normally distributed with mean \(\mu\) and standard deviation 0.20 . The heights of a sample of 12 such elephants were measured with the following results, in metres. $$\begin{array} { l l l l l l l l l l l l } 3.37 & 3.45 & 2.93 & 3.42 & 3.49 & 3.67 & 2.96 & 3.57 & 3.36 & 2.89 & 3.22 & 2.91 \end{array}$$
  1. Stating a necessary assumption, construct a \(98 \%\) confidence interval for \(\mu\). (6 marks)
  2. The mean height of adult male Asian elephants is known to be 2.90 metres. Using your confidence interval, state, with a reason, what can be concluded about the mean heights of adult males in these two types of elephant.
AQA S2 2015 June Q3
10 marks Moderate -0.3
3 A machine fills bags with frozen peas. Measurements taken over several weeks have shown that the standard deviation of the weights of the filled bags of peas has been 2.2 grams. Following maintenance on the machine, a quality control inspector selected 8 bags of peas. The weights, in grams, of the bags were $$\begin{array} { l l l l l l l l } 910.4 & 908.7 & 907.2 & 913.2 & 905.6 & 911.1 & 909.5 & 907.9 \end{array}$$ It may be assumed that the bags constitute a random sample from a normal distribution.
  1. Giving the limits to four significant figures, calculate a 95\% confidence interval for the mean weight of a bag of frozen peas filled by the machine following the maintenance:
    1. assuming that the standard deviation of the weights of the bags of peas is known to be 2.2 grams;
    2. assuming that the standard deviation of the weights of the bags of peas may no longer be 2.2 grams.
  2. The weight printed on the bags of peas is 907 grams. One of the inspector's concerns is that bags should not be underweight. Make two comments about this concern with regard to the data and your calculated confidence intervals.
    [0pt] [2 marks]
Edexcel S3 Q1
6 marks Moderate -0.5
  1. A museum is open to the public for six hours a day from Monday to Friday every week. The number of visitors, \(V\), to the museum on ten randomly chosen days were as follows:
$$\begin{array} { l l l l l l l l l l } 182 & 172 & 113 & 99 & 168 & 183 & 135 & 129 & 150 & 108 \end{array}$$
  1. Calculate an unbiased estimate of the mean of \(V\). Assuming that \(V\) is normally distributed with a variance of 130 ,
  2. find a 95\% confidence interval for the mean of \(V\).
Edexcel S3 Q3
11 marks Moderate -0.3
3. A film-buff is interested in how long it takes for the credits to roll at the end of a movie. She takes a random sample of 20 movies from those that she has bought on DVD and finds that the credits on these films last for a total of 46 minutes and 15 seconds
  1. Assuming that the time for the credits to roll follows a Normal distribution with a standard deviation of 23 seconds, use her data to calculate a \(90 \%\) confidence interval for the mean time taken for the credits to roll.
    (5 marks)
  2. Find the minimum number of movies she would need to have included in her sample for her confidence interval to have a width of less than 10 seconds.
    (5 marks)
  3. Explain why her sample might not be representative of all movies.