Dawnbridge

TI-Nspire CX II field manual for IB Math

AI HL only · 43 of 45

43

Confidence interval for μ

AI HL

Use the t-interval routine to find a confidence interval for the population mean μ from summary statistics.

Goal

A sample of size ​n=20​ has mean ​xˉ=115.3​ and standard deviation ​sx​=28. Find a 95% confidence interval for the population mean ​μ.

1

From the Scratchpad calculator, press → 6: Statistics → 6: Confidence Intervals → 2: t Interval. Set Data Input Method to Stats.

2

Fill in the dialog, moving between fields with : x̄: 115.3, Sx: 28, n: 20, and C Level: 0.95.

Scratchpad
RAD
t Interval
x̄:115.3▶
Sx:28▶
n:20▶
C Level:0.95▶
OKCancel
3

Select OK and press . The interval lands on the calculator page.

Result

The calculator's interval is ​(102.196…, 128.404…). Reported to 3 significant figures, the 95% confidence interval for ​μ​ is ​(102, 129).

Round the bounds outwards. Take the lower bound down and the upper bound up, so your reported interval still contains the calculator's exact one. Never round a bound in the direction that would narrow the interval. Here the lower bound ​102.196…​ gives ​102​ either way, but the upper bound ​128.404…​ must round up to ​129, not the ​128​ that ordinary 3 s.f. rounding would give, so that ​128.404​ still lies inside the interval.

Scratchpad
RAD
tInterval 115.3,28,20,0.95:stat.results
⎣⎢⎢⎢⎢⎢⎢⎢⎢⎢⎢⎡​”Title””CLower””CUpper””x̄””ME””df””sx := sn-1x””n”​”t Interval”102.196128.404115.313.104419.28.20.​⎦⎥⎥⎥⎥⎥⎥⎥⎥⎥⎥⎤​

Your turn

Work each one on your calculator, then check the answer.

  1. 1

    A sample of ​n=15​ has ​xˉ=120.7​ and ​sx​=42. Find a 90% confidence interval for ​μ.

  2. 2

    A sample of ​n=28​ has ​xˉ=280.8​ and ​sx​=45. Find a 99% confidence interval for ​μ.

  3. 3

    A sample of ​n=22​ has ​xˉ=210.1​ and ​sx​=26. Find a 95% confidence interval for ​μ.