Mechanical Systems Engineering

Probability and Statistics

Assignment 3
Statistical Inference for a Single Sample

Due date: June 16, 2022 at 8:00am (class time)

Each problem in this assignment is worth 100 marks. The total is 200 marks (5% of the final mark).

Instructions
▪ Use the MSE title page.
▪ Print or write your solution on white A4 paper on one side only, using a blue or black pen.
▪ Use a single column and leave blank lines between paragraphs.
▪ Show all units and use proper symbols.
▪ Show all your calculations, not only the final result. The calculations must include the formula used,
numerical values substituted in the formula, and the final result. Example: a = b + c = 1 + 2 = 3.
▪ Show the Excel functions used in calculations.
▪ Scan the assignment to a pdf file and submit it to the eConestoga dropbox Assignment 3.

Problem 1

Sixteen measurements of the weight of bags of salt 𝑋 sold by Arctic Depot yielded the following information:
average weight 39.75 𝑘𝑔 and standard deviation 0.30 𝑘𝑔 respectively.
(a) Test the hypothesis that the mean weight of a bag of salt is significantly different from 40.0 𝑘𝑔. Assume that 𝑋
is a normally distributed random variable. Let α = 0.05 (20 marks).
(b) Find the 99% confidence limits of (i) the true mean and (ii) the true standard deviation of the probability
distribution of 𝑋. Assume that 𝑋 is a normally distributed random variable (35 marks).
(c) Test the hypothesis that the true standard deviation of the probability distribution of 𝑋 is greater than 0.35 𝑘𝑔.
Let α = 0.05 (20 marks).
(d) Find the 95% confidence interval of the true mean if the population standard deviation σ is known and equal
with the sample standard deviation 𝑆 given (0.30 𝑘𝑔). Compare this interval with the interval calculated in part
(b) and explain the difference (25 marks).

Probability and Statistics Page 1 of 2 Assignment 3

Problem 2

A sample of 1095 trucks randomly selected on a busy highway revealed that 365 failed the clean-air emission
test.
(a) Test the hypothesis that the true proportion of trucks that fail the clean-air emission test is significantly
different from 0.30. Let α = 0.05 (50 marks).
(b) How large should the sample be if we wish to know the true proportion that failed the clean-air emision test
with an error of 0.01 and 99% confidence? (50 marks)

Probability and Statistics Page 2 of 2 Assignment 3