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Determine the sample size necessary to estimate a population mean to within 1 with 90% confidence given that the population standard deviation is 10.

User Asclepix
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Final answer:

To estimate a population mean within 1 with 90% confidence, a sample size of approximately 17 is necessary.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine the sample size necessary to estimate a population mean to within 1 with 90% confidence given a known population standard deviation of 10, we can use the formula:

n = (Z * σ) / E

Where:

  • n is the sample size
  • Z is the z-score corresponding to the desired confidence level (in this case, 90% corresponds to a z-score of about 1.645)
  • σ is the population standard deviation
  • E is the desired margin of error (in this case, 1)

Plugging in the values, we get:

n = (1.645 * 10) / 1 = 16.45

Therefore, a sample size of approximately 17 would be necessary.

User Yoav Schwartz
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