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what is the minimal sample size needed for a 95% confidence interval to…

Question

what is the minimal sample size needed for a 95% confidence interval to have a maximal margin of error of 0.1 in the following scenarios? (round your answers up the nearest whole number.) (a) a preliminary estimate for p is 0.14 (b) there is no preliminary estimate for p

Explanation:

Step1: Recall the formula for sample size

The formula for sample size \(n\) when estimating a proportion is \(n=\frac{z^{2}\cdot p\cdot(1 - p)}{E^{2}}\). For a 95% confidence interval, the critical value \(z = 1.96\) (from standard normal distribution), and the margin of error \(E=0.1\).

Step2: Calculate sample size for part (a)

Given \(p = 0.14\), then \(1-p=0.86\). Substitute into the formula:

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Step3: Calculate sample size for part (b)

When there is no preliminary estimate for \(p\), we use \(p = 0.5\) (maximizes \(p(1 - p)\)). Then \(1-p = 0.5\). Substitute into the formula:

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Answer:

(a) \(47\) (b) \(96\)