1. Check on one line in each set of choices within parentheses to complete the logical consequences of a large population standard deviation on the required sample size, n.
a. If the population standard
deviation, s, is large,
then population values are
(__ widely
dispersed, __tightly clustered) about the population mean,
(__m,
__). In other words, we
can say the population values are
(__homogeneous,
__ nonhomogeneous).
b. Hence, values in a sample
from such a population are (__more, __less)
likely
to be near the population mean.
c. Consequently, sample means
will be (__widely dispersed, __tightly
clustered)
about the population mean.
d. That is, estimating the population mean will be (__easy, __difficult).
e. Thus, in order to obtain
a given level of confidence that the error bound is B
when
the population standard deviation is large, we require (__more,
__less)
information
from the population in the form of (__more, __fewer)
(__observations,
__samples) than we would require when the population
standard
deviation is small.
2. Check one box in each
set of choices within parentheses to complete the
logical
consequences of a large confidence level (that the error bound of an
estimate
is B) on the required sample size, n.
a. A large confidence
level, 100(1-a)%,
implies a (__large, __small) chance
that
the bound on the error is indeed B.
b. Alternatively, we could say
that a large confidence level implies a (__large,
___small) risk that the error exceeds B.
c. To accomplish this large
confidence level requires that we obtain (__more,
__less)
information from the population when we estimate the population
mean
(__, __m).
d. It follows that to obtain
this amount of information from the population, we
will
require (__more, __fewer) (__observations, __samples) than
we
would
require when the confidence level is small.
3. Why do we need to report
and expect others making statistical inferences
to report
more than the sample mean when they estimate a population
mean?
What else should be listed in a thorough report of the inference
Return
to Worksheet Menu
Return
to Statistics Home Page
Return
to Jarrell Home Page