Point estimation is the process of finding

a single value, cold point estimate, from

a random sample of the population, to
approximate a population parameter.
The sample mean x is the point estimate
2
of the population mean μ, and 𝑠 is the
point estimate for population variance
𝜎2.
Observation x

1 6

2 2

3 8

4 9

5 3

⅀𝑥 = 28
μ= ⅀𝑥
𝑁

28
=
5
=5.6
Sample Mean ( x) Computation of x
(6,2) 4 (6+2)÷ 2 = 4
(6,8) 7 (6+8)÷ 2 = 7
(6,9) 7.5 (6+9)÷ 2 = 7.5
(6,3) 4.5 (6+3)÷ 2 = 4.5
Consider some samples of size 3 drawn from the same
population without replacement.

Sample Mean(x) Computation of x

(6,2,8,) 5.3 (6+2+8)÷ 3 = 5.3

(6,2,9) 5.7 (6+2+9)÷ 3 = 5.7

(6,2,3) 3.7 (6+2+3)÷ 3 = 3.7

(2,8,9) 6.3 (2+8+9)÷ 3 = 6.3

 Consider some possible samples of size 4 drawn without
replacement from the population.

Sample Mean Computation of x

(6,2,8,9) 6.25 (6+2+8+9) ÷4=6.25

(6,2,8,3) 4.75 (6+2+8+3) ÷4=4.75

(6,8,9,3) 6.50 (6+8+9+3) ÷4=6.50

(2,8,9,3) 5.50 (2+8+9+3) ÷4=5.50

Each mean x is a point estimate
of the population mean μ. Each
is typically different from the
population mean (μ=5.6).
 The t-distribution, just like the standard
normal curve, is bell-shaped and unimodal. It
is symmetric about t=o. However, its variance
is greater than 1. It has more area in its tails
than that of the standard normal curve. Its
shape depends on the sample size n. As the
sample size n becomes larger, the t-
distribution gets closer to the standard
normal distribution.
 The t-distribution formula is :
𝑥−μ
t= 𝑠
𝑛

where:
x= sample mean
μ= population mean
s= standard deviation of the sample mean
n= sample size

To find a value in the Table of t Critical Values, there is

need to adjust the sample size n by converting it to
degrees of freedom df.
df=n -1
where: df= degree of freedom
n= sample size
 A student researcher wants to determine whether the
mean score in mathematics of the 25 students in
Grade 8 Section Newton is significantly different from
the average of the school which is 89. The mean and
the standard deviation of the scores of the students in
Section Newton are 5 and a5, respectively. Assume a
95% confidence level.

 Find the degrees of freedom, Table of t Critical Values,

and t-distribution.
 A sample of size n=20 is a simple random sample
selected from a normally distributed population. Find
the value of t such that the shaded are to the left of t is
0.05.
See the Example 7 in the book.