Practice Problem Set #4 Estimation, MLE and
Hypothesis Testing
Assignment Section Problems (12)
Chapter 7 Sec 7.1 Point Estimation, 7.9,7.11,7.14,7.15, 7.20
Sec 7.2 Interval Estimation
Sec 7.3 Maximum Likelihood Estimation 7.31,7.32, 7.33,7.37
Chapter 7 Sec 7.4,7.5,7.6 Tests of Hypothesis , 7.60,7.62,7.63
Sec 7.7 Relation between tests and confidence
interval
Tutorial Exercise :
I. Estimation of the Sample Mean
1. A firm claims batteries used will last average 30 hours. A sample of 16 batteries are tested .if
the t-values falls between −𝑡0.025 and 𝑡0.025 , the firm is satisfied with claim. What
conclusion should the firm draw from a sample of with mean 27.5 hours and S=5 hours.
?Assume normally distributed battery lives.
2. The mean weight loss of 𝑛 = 16 grinding balls after a certain time is 3.42 gms with a
standard deviation of 0.68 gm.
a) Construct a 99% confidence interval for the true mean weight loss of such grinding balls
under the stated conditions.
b) Is your population mean contained in your interval in part(a)
c) What did you assume about the population in your answer to part (a)
3. In an air-pollution study performed at an experiment station, the following amount of
suspended benzene (in micro gm/m3) was measured for eight different samples
2.2 1.8 3.1 2.0 2.4 2.0 2.1 1.2
Assuming that the population sampled is normal, construct a 95% confidence interval for the
corresponding true mean.
4. The average zinc concentration recovered from a sample of zinc measurements in 36
locations is found 2.6 grams/mL. Assume that the population standard deviation is 0.3.
a)Find the 95% and 99% confidence intervals for the mean zinc concentration.
b) How large a sample is required if we want to be 95% confident that our estimate of 𝜇 is
off by less than 0.05?
5. The heights of a random sample of 50 college students showed a mean of 174.5 cm and a
standard deviation of [Link]
a. Construct a 98% confidence interval for the mean height of all college students.
b. What can we assert with 98% confidence about the possible size of our error if we
estimate the mean height of all college to be 174.5 cm
6. The contents of 7 similar containers of fluid is (in litres)
9.8, 10.2,10.4,9.8,10.0,10.2, 9.6.
Find a 95% confidence interval for the mean of all such containers assuming an approximate
normal distribution.
Prof. Dr. Maha A. Hassanein
II. *Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE)
7. The number of defective hard drives produced can be modeled by a Poisson distribution.
The counts of defective for 10 days are
7 3 1 2 4 1 2 3 1 2
Obtain maximum likelihood estimate of the probability of 0 or 1 defectives on one day.
8. Suppose 10 light bulbs are used in a quality study. The lifetime of the bulbs in months are
14, 17, 27, 18, 12, 8, 22, 13, 19, 12
Assume that the exponential distribution applies.
Give a maximum likelihood estimate of the mean lifetime.
Hence, find the maximum likelihood estimate of the probability of the lifetime Of the bulbs
exceeding 24 months
9. The lognormal R.V. X if Y=ln(X) has a normal distribution with mean 𝜇 and standard
deviation 𝜎 . The resulting pdf of X is the lognormal distribution ;
1 (ln 𝑥−𝜇)2
−
𝑓( 𝑥|𝜇) = 𝑒 2𝜎 2 , 𝑥, 𝜇 ≥ 0
√2𝜋𝜎 2 𝑥
and 0 otherwise. Develop the maximum likelihood estimators of 𝜇 and 𝜎 2 .
III. Hypothesis Testing
10. A random sample of 100 record deaths during the past year showed an average life span of
71.8 years. Assuming a population standard deviation of 8.9 year, does this seem to indicate
that the mean life span today is greater than 70 years ? Use a 0.05 level of significance.
11. A manufacturer of sports equipment has developed a new fishing line that he claims has
mean breaking strength of 8 Kgms with standard deviation of 0.5 Kgms. Test the hypothesis
that 𝜇 ≠ 8 kgms of a random sample of 50 lines is tested and found to have a mean breaking
strength of 7.8 Kgms. Use a 0.01 level of significance.
12. It is claimed that a vacuum cleaner expends an average 46 Kwatt hours/year. If a random
sample of 12 homes in a study indicates that they expend an average of 42 Kwatt hours/year
with a standard deviation of 11.9 KWatt hours, does this suggest at the 0.05 level of
significance that vacuum cleaners expend, on the average less than 46 kwatt hours annually
? Assume normal population of kilowatt hours.
13. The surface hardness in a process for producing vinyl floor covering has a normal
distribution with mean 4.5 and standard deviation 1.5 . Consider testing if the mean surface
hardness is not equal to 4.5. A random sample is made of 25 surfaces has hardness mean
3.9. Calculate the p-value.
14. A trucking firm, claims that the average life time of tires is at least 28,000 miles. Check the
claim by testing 40 tires and getting a mean lifetime of f27,463 miles with a standard
deviation of 1.348 miles, what ca new conclude if the probability of type I error is to be at
most 0.01 ?
15. The specs of the mean breaking strength is 180. If five pieces of the ribbon (randomly
selected ) have a mean breaking strength of 169.5 pounds with a standard deviation of 5.7
pounds, test the claim that strength is less than 180 pounds at the 0.01 level of significance .
Assume normal dist population.
Prof. Dr. Maha A. Hassanein