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The 2003 Statistical Abstract of the United States reported the percentage of pe

ID: 3179040 • Letter: T

Question

The 2003 Statistical Abstract of the United States reported the percentage of people 18 years of age and older who smoke. Suppose that a study designed to collect new data on smokers and nonsmokers uses a preliminary estimate of the proportion who smoke of .28.

a. How large a sample should be taken to estimate the proportion of smokers in the population with a margin of error of .02 (to the nearest whole number)? Use 95% confidence.

b. Assume that the study uses your sample size recommendation in part (a) and finds 520 smokers. What is the sample proportion of smokers (to 4 decimals)?

c. Based on the answer in part (b), what is the 95% confidence interval for the proportion of smokers in the population (to 4 decimals)?

(  ,   )

Explanation / Answer

a. Here E=0.02 and z=1.96

also p=0.28

Now we will use formula of E to find n

E=z*sqrt(p(1-p)/n)

so n=z^2*p*(1-p)/E^2=1936

b. sample proportion is x/n=520/1936=0.27

c. using p=0.27 we get E=z*sqrt(p(1-p)/n)=0.02

Hence CI=0.27+/-0.02=(0.25.0.29)