Section 11.1 Student Learning Objectives
A confidence interval is an estimate of an unknown parameter by a range of values. This range contains the value of the parameter with a prescribed probability, called the confidence level. In this chapter we discuss the construction of confidence intervals for the expectation and for the variance of a measurement as well as for the probability of an event. In some cases the construction will apply the Normal approximation suggested by the Central Limit Theorem. This approximation is valid when the sample size is large enough. The construction of confidence intervals for a small sample is considered in the context of Normal measurements. By the end of this chapter, the student should be able to:
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Define confidence intervals and confidence levels.
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Construct a confidence interval for the expectation of a measurement and for the probability of an event.
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Construct a confidence interval for expectation and for the variance of a Normal measurement.
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Compute the sample size that will produce a confidence interval of a given width.
