document.write( "Question 1119653: A magazine provided results from a poll of 2000 adults who were asked to identify their favorite pie. Among the 2000 respondents, 14% chose chocolate pie, and the margin of error was given as +/-3 percentage points. Describe what is meant by the statement that \"the margin of error was given as +/- 3 percentage points.\" \n" ); document.write( "

Algebra.Com's Answer #735254 by solver91311(24713) $\"\"$ $\"About$

You can put this solution on YOUR website!
\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "For a confidence interval of

, a

population proportion with a margin of error of

means that the true population proportion

will be in the range

of the time.\r
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "\n" ); document.write( "In other words, the magazine statistic is meaningless because no confidence interval was specified. The magazine statement could very well be true for a confidence interval of, say, 5%, which says the statistic is valid 5% of the time and complete nonsense 95% of the time. Or any other value for the confidence interval. Of course, any professional statistician who published a margin of error based on such a broad confidence interval should spend a day in the stocks in the town square the target of jeers and rotten vegetables.
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "
\n" ); document.write( "John
\n" ); document.write( "

\n" ); document.write( "My calculator said it, I believe it, that settles it
\n" ); document.write( "

\n" ); document.write( "

\n" );