ME C 443 Quality Control,

Assurance and Reliability

L-18
BITS Pilani Dr. Sachin Waigaonkar
K K Birla Goa Campus
Confidence Interval Estimation

Case 2: Variance is Unknown

• Suppose we have a random variable X that is normally
distributed with unknown mean μ and unknown variance
σ2.
• A random sample of size n is selected, and the sample
mean and sample variance s2 are calculated.
• It is known that the sampling distribution of the quantity
is what is known as a t distribution with
(n -1) degrees of freedom; that is,

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t-Distribution

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Confidence interval : t-Distribution

• A 100(1-α)% two-sided confidence interval for the

population mean μ is given by:

Where represents the axis point of the t

distribution where the right-tail area is α/2 and the number
of degrees of freedom is (n-1)

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Example
• A new process has been developed that transforms ordinary
iron into a kind of super iron called metallic glass.
• This new product is stronger than steel alloys and is much
more corrosion-resistant than steel.
• However, it has a tendency to become brittle at high
temperatures.
• It is desired to estimate the mean temperature at which it
becomes brittle.
• A random sample of 20 pieces of metallic glass is selected.
The temperature at which brittleness is first detected is
recorded for each piece.
• The summary results give a sample mean of 600 °C and a
sample standard deviation of 15 °C.
• Find a 90% confidence interval for the mean temperature at
which metallic glass becomes brittle.

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BITS Pilani, K K Birla Goa Campus
Inference on the Mean of a
Population, Variance Unknown
• Suppose that x is a random variable with unknown mean μ and
unknown variance σ2 .
• We wish to test the hypothesis that the mean is equal to a standard
value, say, μ0
• The hypothesis may be formally stated as:
• H0 : μ= μ0 ; H1 : μ≠μ0
• As σ2 is unknown, it may be estimated by s2 .
• The reference distribution for this test statistic is the t distribution
with (n-1) degrees of freedom. t  x  
0
0

• H0 will be rejected if : t0  t /2, n 1

s / n

• For One sided alternative hypothesis if H1: μ> μ0

• reject H0 if t0  t , n 1
• Similarly if H1: μ< μ0 ,
• reject H0 if t0  t , n 1
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Example

• Rubber can be added to asphalt to reduce road noise

when the material is used as pavement. Table shows the
stabilized viscosity (cP) of 15 specimens of asphalt
paving material.
• To be suitable for the intended pavement application, the
mean stabilized viscosity should be equal to 3200 cP.
Test this hypothesis at α=0.05
• Based on experience initially assume that stabilized
viscosity is normally distributed.

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Table

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