Estimation Questions

1. Thirty oranges are chosen at random from a large box of oranges. The masses, x grams,
are summarized by x = 3033 and x2 = 306 676. Find, to 4 significant figures, unbiased
estimates of the mean and variance of the mass of an orange in the box.

2. The volume of milk in litre cartoons filled by a machine has a normal distribution with mean
litres and standard deviation of 0.05 litres. A random sample of 25 cartoons was selected and the
content, x litres, measured. The results are summarized by x = 25.11. Calculate
a) a symmetric 98% confidence interval for ,
b) the width of a symmetric 90% confidence interval for based on the volume of milk
in a random sample of 50 cartoons.

3. In a particular country the heights of fully-grown males may be modelled by a normal distribution
with mean 176 cm and standard deviation 7.5 cm. The 11 male (fully-grown) biology students
present at a university seminar had a mean height of 175.2 cm. Assuming a standard deviation of
7.5 cm, and stating any further assumption, calculate a symmetric 99% confidence interval for the
mean height of all fully-grown male biology students. Does the interval suggest that fully-grown
male biology students have a different mean height from 178 cm?

4. During one year, a squash player bought 72 squash balls of a certain brand and recorded for each
the time, x hours, before failing. The results are summarized by x = 372.4 and
x2 = 2 301.3
a) Find a symmetric 90% confidence interval for the mean life of that brand of squash ball.
b) State, and justify, any approximation used in your calculation.

5. The contents of 140 bags of flour selected randomly from a large batch delivered to a store are
weighed and the results, w grams, summarized by (w 500) = - 266 and
(w 500)2 = 1178.
a) Calculate unbiased estimates of the batch mean and variance of the mass of flour in a
bag.
b) Calculate a symmetric 95% confidence interval for the batch mean mass.
The manager of the store believes that the confidence interval indicates a mean mass less than
500 g and considers the batch to be sub-standard. She has all of the bags in the batch weighed and
finds that the batch mean mass is 501.1 g. How can this be reconciled with the confidence
interval in part (b)?

6. The depth of water in a lake was measured at 50 randomly chosen points on a particular day. The
depths, d metres, are summarized by d = 366.45 and d2 = 2978.16.
a) Calculate an unbiased estimate of the variance of the depth of the lake.
b) Calculate a symmetric 99% confidence interval for the mean depth of the lake.

The three months after the depths were obtained were very hot and dry and the water level in the
lake dropped by 1.34 m. Based on readings taken at the same 50 points as before, which were all
greater than 1.34 m, what will be a symmetric 99% confidence interval for the new mean depth?
 7. In a study of computer usage a random sample of 200 private households in a particular town was
selected and the number that own at least one computer was found to be 68. Calculate a
symmetric 99% confidence interval for the percentage of households in the town that own at least
one computer.

8. Of 500 cars passing under a bridge on a busy road 92 were found to be red.
a) Find a symmetric 98% confidence interval for the population proportion of red cars.
b) State any assumption required for the validity of the interval.
c) Describe a suitable population to which the interval applies.
d) If the experiment is carried out 50 times, what is the expected number of confidence
intervals would contain the population proportion of red cars?

9. A biased die was thrown 600 times and 224 sixes were obtained. Calculate a symmetric 99%
confidence interval of p, the probability of obtaining a six in a single throw of the dice.

Estimate the smallest number of times the dice should be thrown for the width of the symmetric
99% confidence interval for p to be at most 0.08.

Give two reasons why the previous answer is only an estimate.

Answers:

1. 101.1 g, 1.369 g2 2. (a) [0.981, 1.028] (b) 0.0233 litres

3. [169.4, 181.0] 4. (a) [4.73, 5.62]
5. (a) 498.1 g, 4.839 g2 (b) [497.7, 498.5]
6. (a) 5.968 m2 (b) [6.44, 8.22], [5.10, 6.88]
7. [26.5, 39.5] 8. (a) 2.43, 2.266 (b) [2.18, 2.68]
9. [84.1, 89.1]