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A consumer agency wants to estimate the proportion of all drivers who wear seat belts while driving. Assume that a preliminary study has shown that \(76 \%\) of drivers wear seat belts while driving. How large should the sample size be so that the \(99 \%\) confidence interval for the population proportion has a margin of error of \(.03\) ?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The sample size should be at least 962.

Step by step solution

01

Consider the given population proportion and margin of error

The given population proportion is 0.76 (or 76%) and the desired margin of error (E) is ±0.03.
02

Identify the Z-score associated with the given confidence level

The problem requires a 99% confidence interval. The Z value for a 99% confidence interval is 2.575, which you can find using a standard normal distribution table.
03

Implement the formula for sample size

The formula for finding sample size (n) when population proportion and margin of error are known is: \[ n = \left( \frac{Z^2 \cdot p \cdot (1-p)}{E^2} \right) \] Here, Z = 2.575, p = 0.76 and E = 0.03. Substituting these values in to the formula,
04

Compute the sample size

After substituting Z, p and E into the formula, the next step is to compute the sample size. This calculation yields a sample size of approximately 962, which is normally rounded upwards. Therefore, the sample size should be 962.
05

Interpret the result

This means that at least 962 drivers should be in the survey sample in order for the margin of error of the survey's estimate to be within 3% at a 99% confidence level.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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