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Biostatistics

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5.4 DISTRIBUTION OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TWO SAMPLE MEANS 145<br />

5.3.6 Given a normally distributed population with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 20, find the<br />

following probabilities based on a sample of size 16:<br />

(a) Pðx 100Þ (b) Pðx 110Þ<br />

(c) Pð96 x 108Þ<br />

5.3.7 Given m ¼ 50; s ¼ 16, and n ¼ 64, find:<br />

(a) Pð45 x 55Þ (b) Pðx > 53Þ<br />

(c) Pðx < 47Þ (d) Pð49 x 56Þ<br />

5.3.8 Suppose a population consists of the following values: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9. Construct the sampling<br />

distribution of x based on samples of size 2 selected without replacement. Find the mean and<br />

variance of the sampling distribution.<br />

5.3.9 Use the data of Example 5.3.1 to construct the sampling distribution of x based on samples of size 3<br />

selected without replacement. Find the mean and variance of the sampling distribution.<br />

5.3.10 Use the data cited in Exercise 5.3.1. Imagine we take samples of size 5, 25, 50, 100, and 500 from the<br />

women in this age group.<br />

(a) Calculate the standard error for each of these sampling scenarios.<br />

(b) Discuss how sample size affects the standard error estimates calculated in part (a) and the<br />

potential implications this may have in statistical practice.<br />

5.4 DISTRIBUTION OF THE DIFFERENCE<br />

BETWEEN TWO SAMPLE MEANS<br />

Frequently the interest in an investigation is focused on two populations. Specifically, an<br />

investigator may wish to know something about the difference between two population<br />

means. In one investigation, for example, a researcher may wish to know if it is reasonable<br />

to conclude that two population means are different. In another situation, the researcher<br />

may desire knowledge about the magnitude of the difference between two population<br />

means. A medical research team, for example, may want to know whether or not the mean<br />

serum cholesterol level is higher in a population of sedentary office workers than in a<br />

population of laborers. If the researchers are able to conclude that the population means are<br />

different, they may wish to know by how much they differ. A knowledge of the sampling<br />

distribution of the difference between two means is useful in investigations of this type.<br />

Sampling from Normally Distributed Populations The following<br />

example illustrates the construction of and the characteristics of the sampling distribution<br />

of the difference between sample means when sampling is from two normally distributed<br />

populations.<br />

EXAMPLE 5.4.1<br />

Suppose we have two populations of individuals—one population (population 1) has<br />

experienced some condition thought to be associated with mental retardation, and the other<br />

population (population 2) has not experienced the condition. The distribution of

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