Final answer:
To find the sample size needed to estimate the true mean cost of a large plain pizza with a 95% confidence interval and an accuracy of $0.15, you can use the formula n = (Z * σ) / E. Since we don't have the population standard deviation, we can use a sample standard deviation as an approximation.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the sample size needed to estimate the true mean cost of a large plain pizza with a 95% confidence interval and an accuracy of $0.15, we can use the formula:
n = (Z * σ) / E
Where:
- n is the required sample size
- Z is the Z-value corresponding to the desired confidence level (for 95% confidence, Z ≈ 1.96)
- σ is the population standard deviation
- E is the desired margin of error (accuracy)
Since we don't have the population standard deviation, we can use a sample standard deviation as an approximation. Given that the population standard deviation is usually unknown, a sample size of at least 30 is generally considered sufficient.