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| Question 1205760:  A survey of an urban university showed that 865 of 1,360 students sampled supported a fee increase to fund improvements to the student recreation center. Using the 95% level of confidence, what is the confidence interval for the proportion of students supporting the fee increase?
 Select one:
 a. [0.559, 0.713]
 b. [0.604, 0.668]
 c. [0.610, 0.662]
 d. [0.616, 0.656]
 
 Answer by math_tutor2020(3817)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! Answer: [0.610, 0.662] which is choice C
 
 Explanation
 
 At 95% confidence, the z critical value is roughly z = 1.96
 This is something to memorize or have on a reference sheet somewhere.
 
 p = population proportion of those who support a fee increase to improve student recreation center
 The goal is to estimate p using a confidence interval.
 
 phat = sample proportion
 phat's job is to estimate p.
 The sample proportion is at the center of the confidence interval.
 
 phat = (number who support the increase)/(number surveyed)
 phat = x/n
 phat = 865/1360
 phat = 0.636029 approximately
 Around 63.6% of this sample supports the increase.
 
 E = margin of error of a proportion
 E = z*sqrt(phat*(1-phat)/n)
 E = 1.96*sqrt(0.636029*(1-0.636029)/1360)
 E = 0.025572 approximately
 The margin of error determines how wide the confidence interval is.
 
 Then we can compute the lower and upper boundaries (L and U)
 L = phat - E
 L = 0.636029 - 0.025572
 L = 0.610457
 L = 0.610
 and
 U = phat + E
 U = 0.636029 + 0.025572
 U = 0.661601
 U = 0.662
 
 The 95% confidence interval is [0.610, 0.662]
 It is of the format [L, U]
 
 Some stats textbooks will use the format (L, U) which basically means the same thing.
 
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