120MP Lab 7 Confidence Intervals in Minitab

Here you will use Minitab to repeat some of the examples in lectures and tutorials.

Exercise 1 CI for single mean,  known

A random sample of 100 jam jars had mean weight 249g. The standard deviation of all jars
produced is known to be 4g. Find a 90% confidence interval for the mean weight of all jars.

Go to Stat > Basic Statistics > 1-Sample Z

Select Summarized Data and enter the values as below

Click on Options to change the default confidence level to 90. Ignore the Alternative option

Click OK > OK

The 90% CI for the mean weight of all jars is:

Exercise 2 CI for single mean,  unknown

The weights (in grams) of five cans of fruit are:
251.6 250.5 250.7 251.8 251.5
Calculate a 95% confidence interval for the mean weight of all cans.

Enter the data into Column 1 of the worksheet and label it “Cans”.
Do Stat > Basic Statistics > 1-Sample t.
Select C1 as the sample.
There is no need to use Options, as the default is 95% confidence.

120MP 1
The 95% CI for the mean weight of all jars is:

Exercise 3 CI for difference between means

A random sample of 250 male employees at a large company had a mean salary of £17236 and a
s.d. of £3109. A random sample of 100 female employees at the same company had mean salary
£16610 and s.d. £4318. Calculate a 90% confidence interval for the mean difference in salary
between males and females in the company as a whole.

Use Stat > Basic Statistics > 2-Sample t.

The 90% CI for the population mean difference in salary is:

Exercise 4 CI for single proportion

120MP 2
Calculate a 90% confidence interval for the percentage of the population that eats Kollege’s
cereals if 20 out of 50 people surveyed said they ate them.

Use Stat > Basic Statistics > 1 Proportion .

Options > Normal Approximation

The 90% CI for the population proportion of Kollege’s eaters is:

Exercise 5 CI for difference between two proportions

Among a random sample of 100 people in Newmoor 62 said they would consider using the Internet
when buying a new car. In a random sample of 200 people in Hadmoor, 68 said they would
consider using the Internet when buying a new car. Find a 95% confidence interval for the
percentage difference in opinion between Newmoor and Hadmoor.

Do Stat > Basic Statistics > 2 Proportions

Ignore Options

120MP 3
The 95% CI for the population difference in proportions for internet use is:

Extra Questions
1. The speeds (mph) of a random sample of cars on the M40 were: 78, 84, 66, 71, 73, 69, 82 .
Find a 90% confidence interval for the mean speed of all cars on the M40 if the
population standard deviation is known to be 5 mph.

2. In a random sample of 20 children at a school, 7 said they were vegetarian. Find a 99%
confidence interval for the percentage of all children at the school who are vegetarian.

3. In a student survey, 82 out of 170 females said they walked to University, compared to 106
out of 185 males. Find a 90% confidence interval for the difference between males and
females in the percentage of students who walk to University.

4. Two long-jumpers recorded the following distances (m) in a practice session:

Alan 6.95 7.22 7.04 6.38 5.55 6.12

Bob 6.21 6.03 6.17 6.68 4.76 5.69

(i) Find a 90% confidence interval for the mean distance that Alan jumps.

(ii) Find a 99% confidence interval for how much further Alan jumps than Bob on average
(assuming equal variances).

120MP 4