/*! This file is auto-generated */ .wp-block-button__link{color:#fff;background-color:#32373c;border-radius:9999px;box-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;padding:calc(.667em + 2px) calc(1.333em + 2px);font-size:1.125em}.wp-block-file__button{background:#32373c;color:#fff;text-decoration:none} Problem 64 When two lights close together b... [FREE SOLUTION] | 91Ó°ÊÓ

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When two lights close together blink alternately, we "see" one light moving back and forth if the time between blinks is short. What is the longest interval of time between blinks that preserves the illusion of motion? Ask subjects to turn a knob that slows the blinking until they "see" two lights rather than one light moving. A report gives the results in the form "mean plus or minus the standard error of the mean." \({ }^{22}\) Data for 12 subjects are summarized as \(251 \pm 45\) (in milliseconds). (a) Find the sample standard deviation \(s_{x}\) for these measurements. Show your work. (b) A hasty reader believes that the interval given in the report is a \(95 \%\) confidence interval for the population mean. Find the actual confidence level for the given interval.

Short Answer

Expert verified
(a) The sample standard deviation is approximately 155.88 ms. (b) The actual confidence level is less than 95%.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the given data

We are provided with a set of measurements from 12 subjects. These measurements are represented as a mean of 251 milliseconds with a standard error of 45 milliseconds.
02

Calculate the Sample Standard Deviation

The standard error of the mean (SEM) is calculated as \(\frac{s}{\sqrt{n}}\), where \(s\) is the sample standard deviation and \(n\) is the number of observations. We rearrange this formula to solve for the sample standard deviation: \(s = \text{SEM} \times \sqrt{n}\). Here, \(\text{SEM} = 45\) and \(n = 12\). Therefore, \(s = 45 \times \sqrt{12}\). Calculate \(\sqrt{12} \approx 3.464\), which results in \(s \approx 45 \times 3.464 \approx 155.88\).
03

Calculate the Confidence Interval

The given report provides an interval of \(251 \pm 45\), which suggests a margin based on the standard error. This is an approximation typically used to convey some confidence level, like a confidence interval.
04

Determine the actual confidence level

Since the confidence interval is expressed using the standard error and assuming it is intended to reflect a normal distribution, we use the formula for a confidence interval: \( \text{CI} = \bar{x} \pm z \times \frac{s}{\sqrt{n}} \). Here, \(z\) relates to the actual confidence level achieved with the given interval width. The interval width is \(90\) (as \(2 \times 45\)). Given \(s = 155.88\) and \(n = 12\), calculate \(\frac{s}{\sqrt{n}}\) again to ensure accuracy for needed computations, then find \(z\) that satisfies the desired interval width from which the corresponding confidence level via standard Z-tables is checked.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Sample Standard Deviation
In statistics, understanding the concept of sample standard deviation is crucial when analyzing data. The sample standard deviation (\(s_x\)) provides an estimate of the spread or variability of a dataset. It is particularly useful when dealing with small sample sizes, as it helps to quantify how much individual data points tend to deviate from the sample mean.
The formula to calculate the sample standard deviation is:\[ s = \text{SEM} \times \sqrt{n} \]where \(\text{SEM}\) is the standard error of the mean and \(n\) is the number of observations in the sample.
In the exercise provided, the standard error is 45 milliseconds and there are 12 observations. To find the sample standard deviation, we use \(s = 45 \times \sqrt{12}\), where \(\sqrt{12} \approx 3.464\).This calculation gives us \(s \approx 155.88\) milliseconds.
This value of 155.88 milliseconds indicates the degree of variation in the blink interval perception among the subjects.
Confidence Interval
A confidence interval is a range of values that is used to estimate a population parameter with a certain level of confidence. It's represented as "mean plus or minus a margin of error." In this exercise, the margin of error is provided as the standard error (SEM), calculated to estimate the variability in sample means if we took multiple samples from the same population.
The formula to determine a confidence interval is:\[ \text{CI} = \bar{x} \pm z \times \frac{s}{\sqrt{n}} \]Here, \(\bar{x}\) is the sample mean, \(z\) is the z-score that corresponds to the desired confidence level, and \(\frac{s}{\sqrt{n}}\) is the standard error.
The exercise presents a confidence interval as \(251 \pm 45\), which implies that the observed mean might differ from the true population mean by 45 milliseconds.
However, if we want to confirm the actual level of confidence of this interval, we need to compute the z-score from this width (90 milliseconds, as it's twice the SEM). This requires understanding the underlying distribution and utilizing statistical tables to interpret the confidence corresponding to the given interval.
Standard Error
The standard error (SE) is a key concept in statistics, reflecting the expected variability of a sample mean across different samples. It provides insight into how precise our estimate of the population mean is likely to be.
In the context of the exercise, the standard error is given as 45 milliseconds. This number helps us understand the typical difference we might expect between the sample mean and the true population mean if we gathered several samples of the same size.
Mathematically, standard error is calculated by:\[ \text{SE} = \frac{s}{\sqrt{n}} \]where \(s\) is the sample standard deviation, and \(n\) is the sample size. With an SE of 45 and a calculated sample standard deviation of 155.88 milliseconds, we gain insight into the spread of blink interval measurements from the subjects.
Standard error is integral to constructing confidence intervals and performing hypothesis tests, as it provides a tool for estimating how close the sample statistics are to the actual population parameters. By understanding SE, we can better assess the reliability and accuracy of our statistical estimates.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

The body mass index (BMI) of all American young women is believed to follow a Normal distribution with a standard deviation of about 7.5. How large a sample would be needed to estimate the mean BMI \(\mu\) in this population to within ±1 with \(99 \%\) confidence? Show your work.

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Determine whether we can safely use a \(t^{*}\) critical value to calculate a confidence interval for the population mean in each of the following settings. (a) We collect data from a random sample of adult residents in a state. Our goal is to estimate the overall percent of adults in the state who are college graduates. (b) The coach of a college men's basketball team records the resting heart rates of the 15 team members. We use these data to construct a confidence interval for the mean resting heart rate of all male students at this college. (c) Do teens text more than they call? To find out, an \(\mathrm{AP}^{8}\) Statistics class at a large high school collected data on the number of text messages and calls sent or received by each of 25 randomly selected students. The Fathom boxplot below displays the difference (texts - calls) for each student.

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