Confidence Interval Calculator

Confidence Interval for a Population Mean, Sigma Known

If the population standard deviation is known, we can directly calculate the

standard deviation of the sampling distribution (the standard error of the estimate)
and use the standardized normal distribution to get a z-multiple, using the Excel
function NORMSINV.

The margin of error is the z-multiple times the standard error, and it is how far the
confidence interval extends on each side of the point estimate.

Input Variables:
Sample mean (x-bar): 100
Population standard deviation (sigma): 15
Sample size (n): 50
Confidence level: 0.9
<— Input the appropriate number for your situation.
<— Input the appropriate number for your situation.
<— Input the appropriate number for your situation.
<— Input the appropriate number for your situation.

Intermediate Calculations:
Standard error of the estimate: 2.1213203
Prob. in one-tail for this conf level: 0.05
Prob. to use in NORMSINV: 0.95
Z-multiple: 1.645

Confidence Interval:
Lower limit: 96.51 We can be 90% confident that the population mean
Upper limit: 103.49 lies between 96.51 and 103.49
Margin of error: 3.49
population mean
 Confidence Interval Calculator
Confidence Interval for a Population Mean, Sigma Unknown

If the population standard deviation is not known, we must use the sample standard
deviation as an estimate and use it to calculate the standard deviation of the sampling
distribution (the standard error of the estimate). We also use the t distribution to get a
multiple corresponding to the desired confidence level, using the Excel function TINV.

The margin of error is the t multiple times the standard error, and it is how far the
confidence interval extends on each side of the point estimate.

Input Variables:
Sample mean (x-bar): 3.3189563 <-- Input the appropriate number for your situation.
Sample standard deviation (s): 0.2817911 <-- Input the appropriate number for your situation.
Sample size (n): 70 <-- Input the appropriate number for your situation.
Confidence level: 0.95 <-- Input the appropriate number for your situation.

Intermediate Calculations:
Degrees of freedom: 69
Standard error of the estimate: 0.03
Prob. in the tails for this conf level: 0.05
T-multiple: 1.995

Confidence Interval:
Lower limit: 3.25 We can be 95% confident that the population mean
Upper limit: 3.39 lies between 3.25 and 3.39
Margin of error: 0.07
e population mean
 Confidence Interval Calculator
Confidence Interval for a Population Proportion

From a sample proportion we can calculate the standard deviation of the

sampling distribution (the standard error of the estimate), and use the standardized
normal distribution to get a z-multiple, using the Excel function NORMSINV.
The margin of error is the z-multiple times the standard error, and it is how far the
confidence interval extends on each side of the point estimate.

Input Variables:
Sample proportion (p-bar): 0.43 <-- Input the appropriate number for your situation.
Sample size (n): 100 <-- Input the appropriate number for your situation.
Confidence level: 0.95 <-- Input the appropriate number for your situation.

Intermediate Calculations:
Standard error of the estimate: 0.0495
Prob. in one-tail for this conf level: 0.025
Prob. to use in NORMSINV: 0.975
Z-multiple: 1.960

Confidence Interval:
Lower limit: 0.3330 We can be 95% confident that the population proportion
Upper limit: 0.5270 lies between 0.333 and 0.527
Margin of error: 0.0970
e population proportion