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Explain the meaning of a point estimate and an interval estimate.

Short Answer

Expert verified
A point estimate is a single value used as a best estimate of the population parameter of interest, while an interval estimate is a range of values that might contain the population parameter. Interval estimates often convey more information about the parameter and its uncertainty than point estimates do.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Point Estimate

A point estimate is a single data point used as a best guess or best estimate of a parameter of interest in population. For example, the mean, median, or mode of a sample can serve as a point estimate of the mean, median, or mode of the population.
02

Understand the Interval Estimate

An interval estimate is defined as a range, or an interval, used for estimating a parameter of interest. Interval estimates provide more information about the parameter than point estimates. An example of interval estimate is constructing a confidence interval for a population's mean value. A 95% confidence interval might range from 10 to 20, for example. This means that we are 95% certain that the true population value lies somewhere between 10 and 20.
03

Comparing Point and Interval Estimates

While both point and interval estimates are used to estimate a population parameter, they offer different amount of information. A point estimate provides a single most likely value, while an interval estimate provides a range of possible values. Interval estimates are typically preferable to point estimates because they provide a measure of the estimate's precision and its potential error.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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