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Course Notes - Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Course Notes - Department of Mathematics and Statistics

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6.2.1 Sample Size CalculationEXAMPLE - CALCULATING THE SAMPLE SIZEThe pharmacologist is required to find the value <strong>of</strong> µ X to within 15minutes with 95% confidence. Assuming that the st<strong>and</strong>ard deviation,σ X , is 1.5 hours, find the size <strong>of</strong> the sample which must be taken inorder to achieve this accuracy.SolutionConsider the confidence interval:x ± 1.96 σX√ nThe error component <strong>of</strong> this interval is:1.96 σX√ nWe need this error to be within 15 minutes or ± 0.25 hours.Working1.96 σX√ n< 0.251.96 × 1.5 √ n< 0.251.96 × 1.5 < 0.25 × √ n1.96 × 1.5< √ n0.2511.76 < √ n11.76 2 < nn > 138.2976Smallest sample size = 139 (round up to nearest whole).97

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