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Statistics for Decision- Making in Business - Maricopa Community ...

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The Central Limit Theorem (CLT) has some very powerful, but subtle results.<br />

First of all, we do not need to understand the shape of the underly<strong>in</strong>g distribution from which we<br />

are sampl<strong>in</strong>g. This is an amaz<strong>in</strong>g result <strong>in</strong>-and-of itself, s<strong>in</strong>ce we usually have little to know<br />

<strong>in</strong><strong>for</strong>mation about the population itself (aga<strong>in</strong>, if we did, we wouldn‟t be wast<strong>in</strong>g our time with<br />

any of this!).<br />

Secondly, s<strong>in</strong>ce the result<strong>in</strong>g sampl<strong>in</strong>g distribution is approximately normally distributed, we can<br />

proceed to calculate probabilities us<strong>in</strong>g the normal distribution. This is also great, s<strong>in</strong>ce we<br />

already have the background <strong>in</strong> that process!<br />

Example 1: After experimentation, researchers believe that the mean lifespan of a stra<strong>in</strong> of<br />

bacteria is days with days. Due to the complexity of the bacteria, the shape<br />

of the distribution of bacteria lifespans is unknown. A sample of 60 bacteria stra<strong>in</strong>s is<br />

collected.<br />

a. Does the CLT apply here<br />

b. Calculate the probability that the sample mean lifespan, ̅, is less than 3 days.<br />

SOLUTION:<br />

a. S<strong>in</strong>ce the sample size is 60, we should be safe <strong>in</strong> assum<strong>in</strong>g that the sampl<strong>in</strong>g distribution<br />

of all means is normally distributed with mean and standard deviation √<br />

.<br />

b. We want ( ). Us<strong>in</strong>g our probability calculator<br />

Given the very small level of variability <strong>in</strong> the sampl<strong>in</strong>g distribution of lifespan means,<br />

we would consider observ<strong>in</strong>g an average smaller than 3 feasibly 0.<br />

6.1.4 Limitations of the CLT<br />

<strong>Statistics</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Decision</strong>-<strong>Mak<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>in</strong> Bus<strong>in</strong>ess © Milos Podmanik Page 189

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