STUDY GUIDE

STATISTICS & PROBABILITY | UNIT 6

Mean and Variance of Sampling Distribution

Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3
Test Your Prerequisite Skills ........................................................................................................ 4
Objectives ...................................................................................................................................... 4
Lesson 1: Mean of a Sampling Distribution
- Warm Up! ........................................................................................................................... 5
- Learn about It! ................................................................................................................... 6
- Let’s Practice! ..................................................................................................................... 8
- Check Your Understanding! ............................................................................................ 15
Lesson 2: Variance of a Sampling Distribution
- Warm Up! ......................................................................................................................... 17
- Learn about It! ................................................................................................................. 17
- Let’s Practice! ................................................................................................................... 20
- Check Your Understanding! ............................................................................................ 28
Lesson 3: Standard Error of the Mean
- Warm Up! ......................................................................................................................... 30
- Learn about It! ................................................................................................................. 30
- Let’s Practice! ................................................................................................................... 31
- Check Your Understanding! ............................................................................................ 37
Lesson 4: Solving Problems Involving the Mean and Variance of a Sampling
Distribution
- Warm Up! ......................................................................................................................... 39
- Learn about It! ................................................................................................................. 39
- Let’s Practice! ................................................................................................................... 40
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- Check Your Understanding! ............................................................................................ 49

Challenge Yourself! ..................................................................................................................... 51
Performance Task ....................................................................................................................... 52
Wrap-up ................................................................................................................................................................................... 53

Key to Let’s Practice! .................................................................................................................... 54

References ................................................................................................................................... 55

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Table of Contents
GRADE 11/12 | STATISTICS & PROBABILITY

UNIT 6

Mean and Variance of Sampling

Distribution
When we conduct studies in order to describe a characteristic or an
attribute of a population, we do not actually use the whole population
for our study especially when the population is too large. It is often
convenient to take a sample from a population for statistical
computations.

However, the values that describe the sample taken, such as

its mean and variance, may differ from those of the entire
population itself. To determine the properties of samples
compared to those of the entire population, we may analyze
a distribution whose data points are samples from the
original population, rather than single observations.

For instance, if we have a population of 20 observations,

we may take all possible samples containing 5
observations, then calculate and record the mean of
each of these. Such a distribution is known as a
sampling distribution of the sample mean.

In this unit, you will learn how to solve for the mean and variance of the sampling
distribution of the sample mean. You will also learn how to compute for the standard
error of the mean.

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Test Your Prerequisite Skills

 Finding the mean of a set of observations

 Finding the variance of a set of observations
 Writing a sampling distribution from a population

Before you get started, answer the following items on a separate sheet of paper. This will
help you assess your prior knowledge and practice some skills that you will need in
studying the lessons in this unit. Show your complete solution.

1. For each set of observations, compute the mean and variance. Assume that the set
of observations represent a population.
a. 2, 5, 8, 11, 14
b. 12, 13, 20, 25
c. 4, 6, 9, 12, 20

2. Given the following population, construct all possible samples with the indicated
sample size, .
a. 4, 8, 12, 16 ;
b. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 ;

Objectives

At the end of this unit, you should be able to

 find the mean and variance of a sampling distribution of the sample mean;
 compute the standard error of the mean; and
 solve problems involving the mean and variance of a sampling distribution.

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Lesson 1: Mean of a Sampling Distribution

Warm Up!

You’re so mean!

Materials Needed: pen, paper

Instructions:
1. This activity will be done in pairs.
2. As a pair, you will construct all possible samples of size 2 from the set of scores
found below.

2, 6, 10, 14, 18

3. For each sample, compute for the sample mean.

4. Construct the sampling distribution for the sample mean.
5. Compute for the expected value of the sampling distribution.
6. Compute for the mean of the population.
7. Compare your answer in numbers 5 and 6. What do you notice?
8. Share the results in the class.

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Learn about It!

What we constructed in the Warm Up! activity is called a sampling distribution for the
sample mean.

In the Warm Up! activity, we constructed all possible samples of size 2 for a population of
size 5. We have learned from the previous lesson that the number of samples we can
obtain from a population is denoted by where is the population size and is the
sample size. From the activity in the Warm Up! there will be samples or 10 samples.

The following are the different samples from the population.

No. Sample
1 2, 6
2 2, 10
3 2, 14
4 2, 18
5 6, 10
6 6, 14
7 6, 18
8 10, 14
9 10, 18
10 14, 18

After we list down all possible samples from the population, we compute for the means of
all the samples, and obtain the following sample means.

No. Sample Sample Mean

1 2, 6 4
2 2, 10 6
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3 2, 14 8
4 2, 18 10
5 6, 10 8
6 6, 14 10
7 6, 18 12
8 10, 14 12
9 10, 18 14
10 14, 18 16

In order to construct the sampling distribution for the sample means, we get the
probability of occurring for each sample means.

Sample
Frequency Probability
Mean
4 1 0.1
6 1 0.1
8 2 0.2
10 2 0.2
12 2 0.2
14 1 0.1
16 1 0.1

To get the expected value of the distribution, we apply the formula for the expected value,
which is . In this instance, refers to the sample mean.

From our previous lessons, this particular value that we obtained refers to the mean of all
the sample means that we obtain from the population. We can denote this by using the
symbol .
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From the activity, we also obtained the population mean. To get the population mean, we
can add the observations and divide it by 5.

We can observe that the population mean is the same as the expected value . From
here, we can say that the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is equal
to the population mean. In symbols,

Let’s Practice!

Example 1: What is the mean of the sampling distribution for the sample mean for a
population with the following observations:

12, 20, 24, 32, 36

Solution: The mean of the sampling distribution for the sample means is equal to the
population mean.

Try It Yourself!

What is the mean of the sampling distribution for the sample mean for a
population with the following observations:
1, 6, 9, 11, 13
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Example 2: Construct the sampling distribution of the sample mean for the population
that consists of the scores 1, 2, 3, 4, with sample size of 2. Compute as well
the mean of the sampling distribution using the expected value of the
distribution and verify the result by computing for the population mean.

Solution: The population contains four elements. This means that . We are
required to have a sample size of 2, therefore, . With these values, we
can say that the total number of samples that we can list is or 6 samples.
We then compute for the means of each sample.

Sample
No. Samples
Mean
1 1, 2 1.5
2 1, 3 2
3 1, 4 2.5
4 2, 3 2.5
5 2, 4 3
6 3, 4 3.5

We can now construct the sampling distribution of the sample means.

Sample
Frequency Probability
Mean
1.5 1 0.2
2 1 0.2
2.5 2 0.4
3 1 0.2
3.5 1 0.2

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Therefore, the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample means is 2.5.

We can verify this value by computing the population mean and comparing
the result to the previous value.

From these, we have verified that .

Try It Yourself!

Construct the sampling distribution of the sample mean for the population that
consists of the scores 12, 14, 16, 18 with a sample size of 2. Compute as well the
mean of the sampling distribution using the expected value of the distribution and
verify the result by computing for the population mean.

Example 3: Construct the sampling distribution of the sample mean for the
population that consists of the scores 75, 78, 81, 84, 87, with a sample size
of 3. Compute as well the mean of the sampling distribution using the
expected value of the distribution and verify the result by computing for
the population mean.

Solution: The population contains five elements. This means that . We are
required to have a sample size of 3, therefore, . With these values, we
can say that the total number of samples that we can list is or 10
samples. We then compute for the means of each sample.

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No. Samples Sample Mean

1 75, 78, 81 78
2 75, 78, 84 79
3 75, 78, 87 80
4 75, 81, 84 80
5 75, 81, 87 81
6 75, 84, 87 82
7 78, 81, 84 81
8 78, 81, 87 82
9 78, 84, 87 83
10 81, 84, 87 84

We can now construct the sampling distribution of the sample means.

Sample
Frequency Probability
Mean
78 1 0.1
79 1 0.1
80 2 0.2
81 2 0.2
82 2 0.2
83 1 0.1
84 1 0.1

Therefore, the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample means is 81.

We can verify this value by computing the population mean and comparing
the result to the previous value.
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From these, we have verified that .

Try It Yourself!

Construct the sampling distribution of the sample mean for the population that
consists of the scores 24, 27, 30, 33, 36 with a sample size of 3. Compute as well the
mean of the sampling distribution using the expected value of the distribution and
verify the result by computing for the population mean.

Real-World Problems

Example 4: The law firm of Romano and Associates has five

partners. At their weekly partners’ meeting, each
reported the number of hours they billed clients for
their services last week.

Partner Number of Hours

1. Salazar 22
2. Zamora 26
3. Cordero 30
4. Rodriguez 26
5. Tolentino 22

Two partners are selected at random. Construct the sampling distribution for
the mean number of hours each pair of partners billed their clients and
compute for the mean of the sampling distribution. 12

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Solution: If two partners are selected at random, then there will be or 10 possible
samples.

Total Number Sample

Partners
of Hours Mean
1, 2 48 24
1, 3 52 26
1, 4 48 24
1, 5 44 22
2, 3 56 28
2, 4 52 26
2, 5 48 24
3, 4 56 28
3, 5 52 26
4, 5 48 24

Constructing the sampling distribution for the sample mean, we have,

Sample Mean Frequency Probability

22 1 0.1

24 4 0.4

26 3 0.3

28 2 0.2

Thus, the mean of the sample distribution of the sample mean is

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The mean of the sampling distribution is the same with the mean of the
population.

Try It Yourself!

Eliza’s Internet Café has five branches in city A. Each

branch reported the number of customers they had in a
week. The following is the reported number of customers
per branch.

Branch Number of Customers

A 664
B 504
C 420
D 720
E 610

If two branches are selected at random, construct the sampling distribution of the
sample mean for the number of customers each pair of branches have for a week.
Compute the mean of the sampling distribution.

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Check Your Understanding!

1. Solve for the mean of each sampling distribution for the sample mean.
a.
Sample Mean Probability
6 0.20
7 0.25
8 0.20
9 0.35

b.

Sample Mean Probability

22 0.15
24 0.10
26 0.18
28 0.35
30 0.22

c.

Sample Mean Probability

10.5 0.11
13.8 0.31
15.6 0.25
19.1 0.18
20.2 0.15

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2. For each population, find the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample
mean with an indicated sample size, .

a. 7, 10, 19, 20 ;
b. 46, 51, 55, 59, 61 ;
c. 24, 26, 29, 32, 35 ;

3. Construct the sampling distribution of the sample mean for the following
population and with the indicated sample size .

a. 2, 9, 11, 14 ;
b. 45, 54, 60, 63, 66 ;

4. Six of the branches of a certain retail store reported their income in a week in
thousands. If two branches are selected at random, construct the sampling
distribution for the sample mean and compute its mean.

Income (in
Branch
thousands)
A 89
B 50
C 69
D 109
E 92
F 48

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Lesson 2: Variance of a Sampling Distribution

Warm Up!

Pair, Work, Share!

Materials Needed: paper, pen

Instructions:
1. This activity will be done in pairs.
2. As a pair, you will construct all possible samples of size 2 from the set of scores
found below.
2, 6, 10, 14, 18

3. For each sample, compute for the sample mean.

4. Construct the sampling distribution of the sample mean.
5. Compute for the variance of all the individual sample means in the distribution.
6. Compute for the variance of the population.
7. Divide the population variance by the sample size.
8. Compare your answer from numbers 5 and 7. What do you notice?
9. Share the results in the class.

Learn about It!

What we did in the Warm Up! activity is finding the variance of a sampling distribution of
the sample mean.

The following table shows the different samples and its corresponding mean.
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No. Sample Sample Mean

1 2, 6 4
2 2, 10 6
3 2, 14 8
4 2, 18 10
5 6, 10 8
6 6, 14 10
7 6, 18 12
8 10, 14 12
9 10, 18 14
10 14, 18 16

With these, we can construct the sampling distribution for the sample mean.

Sample
Frequency Probability
Mean
4 1 0.1
6 1 0.1
8 2 0.2
10 2 0.2
12 2 0.2
14 1 0.1
16 1 0.1

To get the variance of this sampling distribution, we can apply the formula for the
variance of a population. The following are the computation for the variance of the
sampling distribution.

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Sample
(Sample Mean)2
Mean
4 16
6 36
8 64
10 100
12 144
14 196
16 256

We are going to denote the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean
using the symbol . With the above computation, we have solved for the variance of the
sampling distribution of the sample mean and found it to be equal to 16.

In the Warm Up! activity, the population variance was also computed and was asked to
divide the value by the sample size. In order to get the population variance, we can use
the same formula stated above and apply it to the population 2, 6, 10, 14, 18.

Observations

2 4
6 36
10 100
14 196
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18 324

From the above computation, we obtain a population variance of 32. If we divide this by
the sample size 2, we can have 16. Notice that the variance of the sampling distribution of
the sample mean is also 16 from the previous computations. From this, we can conclude
that the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is equal to the quotient
of the population variance and the sample size. In symbols,

The variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean tells us about the variability
of the sample means.

Let’s Practice!

Example 1: What is the variance of the sampling distribution for the sample mean for a
population with the following observations and with a sample size of 2?

12, 20, 24, 32, 36

Solution: To get the variance of the sampling distribution with the indicated sample
size, we use the formula . We first get the variance of the population
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Observations
12 144
20 400
24 576
28 784
32 1 024

To solve for the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean, we
substitute and the sample size,

Therefore, the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is

23.68.

Try It Yourself!

What is the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean for a
population with the following observations and with a sample size of 3?

2, 5, 9, 11, 19
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Example 2: Compute for the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean
for the population 40, 48, 52, 56, 60, 66 with a sample size of 3.

Solution: To get the variance of the sampling distribution with the indicated sample
size, we use the formula . We first get the variance of the population
.

Observations
40 1 600
48 2 304
52 2 704
56 3 136
60 3 600
66 4 356

To solve for the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean, we
substitute and the sample size, .

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Therefore, the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is

23.30.

Try It Yourself!

Compute for the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean for the
population 88, 93, 98, 102, 106, 110 with a sample size of 3.

Example 3: Construct the sampling distribution of the sample mean for the population 3,
6, 9, 12, 15 with a sample size of 3. Compute for the variance of the sampling
distribution.

Solution: Since the population has 5 elements and we need to have a sample size of 3
for each sample, we can have or 10 possible samples. The following table
shows all the possible samples with their corresponding mean.

No. Sample Sample Mean

1 3, 6, 9 6
2 3, 6, 12 7
3 3, 6, 15 8
4 3, 9, 12 8
5 3, 9, 15 9
6 3, 12, 15 10
7 6, 9, 12 9
8 6, 9, 15 10
9 6, 12, 15 11
10 9, 12, 15 12

With the above sample means, we can have the following sampling
distribution of the sample mean. 23

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Sample Mean Frequency Probability

6 1 0.1
7 1 0.1
8 2 0.2
9 2 0.2
10 2 0.2
11 1 0.1
12 1 0.1

To solve for the variance of the above sampling distribution of the sample
mean, we first get the population variance.

Observations

3 9
6 36
9 81
12 144
15 225

To solve for the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean, we
substitute and the sample size,

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Therefore, the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is 6.

Try It Yourself!

Compute for the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean for the
population 64, 75, 88, 90, 92, 97 with a sample size of 3.

Real-World Problems

Example 4: The law firm of Romano and Associates has five

partners. At their weekly partners’ meeting, each
reported the number of hours they billed clients for
their services last week.

Partner Number of Hours

1. Salazar 22
2. Zamora 26
3. Cordero 30
4. Rodriguez 26
5. Tolentino 22

Two partners are selected at random. Construct the sampling distribution for
the mean number of hours each pair of partners billed their clients and
compute for the variance of the sampling distribution.

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Solution: If two partners are selected at random, then there will be or 10 possible
samples.

Total Number Sample

Partners
of Hours Mean
1, 2 48 24
1, 3 52 26
1, 4 48 24
1, 5 44 22
2, 3 56 28
2, 4 52 26
2, 5 48 24
3, 4 56 28
3, 5 52 26
4, 5 48 24

Constructing the sampling distribution for the sample mean, we have,

Sample Mean Frequency Probability

22 1 0.1

24 4 0.4

26 3 0.3

28 2 0.2

To solve for the variance of this sampling distribution, we need to get first the
variance of the population.

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Observations

22 484
26 676
30 900
26 676
22 484

We now apply the formula to get the variance of the sampling distribution by
substituting and .

Therefore, the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is

4.48.

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Try It Yourself!

Eliza’s Internet Café has five branches in city A. Each

branch reported the number of customers they had in a
week. The following is the reported number of customers
per branch.
Branch Number of Customers
A 664
B 504
C 420
D 720
E 610

If two branches are selected at random, compute the variance of the sampling
distribution of the sample mean.

Check Your Understanding!

1. For each of the following population, solve for the variance of the sampling
distribution of the sample mean whose sample size is indicated.

a. 6, 8, 9, 12 ;
b. 15, 19, 20, 22 ;
c. 54, 58, 68, 82, 91 ;
d. 35, 36, 39, 40, 49 ;
e. 65, 69, 74, 78, 79, 90 ;

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2. The variance of a population is 3.26. If a sampling distribution of the sample mean

is constructed from the population with a sample size of 3, what is the variance of
the sampling distribution of the sample mean?

3. The number of people in five cinemas that watched the latest movie are reported
as follows:

Cinema 1 2 3 4 5
Number of
99 95 112 130 150
people

If three cinemas are selected at random and a sampling distribution of the sample
mean for the number of people that watched the latest movie is constructed, what
is the variance of the sampling distribution?

4. Six of the branches of a certain retail store reported their income in a week in
thousands. If three branches are selected at random, compute the variance of the
sampling distribution for the sample mean.

Branch Income (in thousands)

A 89
B 50
C 69
D 109
E 92
F 48

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Lesson 3: Standard Error of the Mean

Warm Up!

Let’s go and get that root!

Materials Needed: paper, pen

Instructions:
1. This activity will be done in pairs.
2. Consider the population 4, 8, 10, 12, 16. Construct a sampling distribution of the
sample mean for a sample size of 2.
3. What is the variance of the sampling distribution that you constructed?
4. What if we get the square root of the variance? What do we get?

Learn about It!

In the Warm Up! activity, we are asked to get the square root of the variance of the
sampling distribution. This value that we have obtained is what we called as a standard
error.

Definition 3.1: The standard error is the standard deviation of

the sampling distribution of a statistic.

Specifically, the standard error of the mean is the standard deviation of the sample
means over all possible samples chosen from a population. Therefore, it is equal to the
square root of the variance of the sampling distribution of the mean. In symbols,
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where is the standard deviation of the population and is the sample size. This shows
us that a larger sample size results in a smaller standard error of the mean. Thus, in
conducting a research, we tend to get a bigger sample size in order for us generalize the
characteristic or attribute of the population under study with the least possible error.

Let’s Practice!

Example 1: The variance of a sampling distribution of the sample mean is 16. What is the
standard error of the sampling distribution of the sample mean?

Solution: The standard error of the mean is also the standard deviation of the
sampling distribution. In order to get this, we get the square root of the
variance of the sampling distribution.

Therefore, the standard error pf the sampling distribution of the sample

mean is 4.

Try It Yourself!

The variance of a sampling distribution of the sample mean is 5.98. What is the
standard error of the sampling distribution of the sample mean?

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Example 2: A population consists of 3, 7, 8, and 10. If a sampling distribution of the

sample mean is made out of this population with a sample size of 2, what is
the standard error of the sampling distribution of the sample mean?

Solution: In order for us to solve for the standard error of the sampling distribution of
the sample mean, we can get the square root of the variance of the sampling
distribution. To do this, we first get the variance of the population.

Observations

3 9
7 49
8 64
10 100

Upon obtaining the population variance, we can now get the variance of the
sampling distribution of the sample mean.

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Therefore, the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is

3.25. To get the standard error of the mean, we get the square root of the
variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean.

Therefore, the standard error of the sampling distribution of the sample

mean is 1.80.

Try It Yourself!

A population consists of 6, 8, 11, and 13. If a sampling distribution of the sample

mean is made out of this population with a sample size of 2, what is the standard
error of the sampling distribution of the sample mean?

Example 3: A population consists of 14, 18, 19, 26, 27, 30. If a sampling distribution of the
sample mean is made out of this population with a sample size of 3, what is
the standard error of the sampling distribution of the sample mean?

Solution: In order for us to solve for the standard error of the sampling distribution of
the sample mean, we can get the square root of the variance of the sampling
distribution. To do this, we first get the variance of the population.

Observations

14 196
18 324
19 361
26 676
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27 729
30 900

Upon obtaining the population variance, we can now get the variance of the
sampling distribution of the sample mean.

Therefore, the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is

3.25. To get the standard error of the mean, we get the square root of the
variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean.

Therefore, the standard error of the sampling distribution of the sample

mean is 2.32.

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Try It Yourself!

A population consists of 24, 28, 29, 36, 37, 40. If a sampling distribution of the
sample mean is made out of this population with a sample size of 3, what is the
standard error of the sampling distribution of the sample mean?

Real-World Problems

Example 4: The law firm of Romano and Associates has five

partners. At their weekly partners’ meeting, each
reported the number of hours they billed clients for
their services last week.

Partner Number of Hours

1. Salazar 22
2. Zamora 26
3. Cordero 30
4. Rodriguez 26
5. Tolentino 22

Two partners are selected at random. If a sampling distribution for the mean
number of hours each pair of partners billed their clients is constructed, find
the standard error of the sampling distribution.

Solution: In order for us to solve for the standard error of the sampling distribution of
the sample mean, we can get the square root of the variance of the sampling
distribution. To do this, we first get the variance of the population.

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Observations

22 484
26 676
30 900
26 676
22 484

Upon obtaining the population variance, we can now get the variance of the
sampling distribution of the sample mean.

Therefore, the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is

4.48. To get the standard error of the mean, we get the square root of the
variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean.

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Therefore, the standard error of the sampling distribution of the sample

mean is 2.12.

Try It Yourself!

Eliza’s Internet Café has five branches in city A. Each

branch reported the number of customers they had in a
week. The following is the reported number of customers
per branch.
Branch Number of Customers
A 664
B 504
C 420
D 720
E 610

If two branches are selected at random, compute the standard error of the sampling
distribution of the sample mean.

Check Your Understanding!

1. For each of the following population, solve for the standard error of the sampling
distribution of the sample mean whose sample size is indicated.
a. 5, 9, 11, 14 ;
b. 16, 20, 22, 26 ;
c. 54, 58, 68, 82, 91 ;
d. 38, 39, 41, 45, 49 ;
e. 105, 109, 110, 112, 115, 120 ; 37

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2. The variance of a population is 5.18. If a sampling distribution of the sample mean

is constructed from the population with a sample size of 3, what is the standard
error of the sampling distribution of the sample mean?

3. The number of people in five ice cream stores of an ice cream company that
wanted to try the new ice cream flavor are reported as follows:

Stores 1 2 3 4 5
Number of
49 55 65 52 39
people

If three stores are selected at random and a sampling distribution of the sample
mean for the number of people that wanted to try the new ice cream flavor is
constructed, what is the standard error of the sampling distribution?

4. Six of the branches of a certain store reported their income in a week in thousands.
If three branches are selected at random, compute the standard error of the
sampling distribution of the sample mean.

Income (in
Branch
thousands)
A 112
B 126
C 89
D 78
E 95
F 39

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Lesson 4: Solving Problems Involving the Mean and

Variance of a Sampling Distribution

Warm Up!

I give, you give, we share!

Materials Needed: pen, paper

Instructions:
1. Pick a partner.
2. Each one of you will give a number. After you say a number, your partner will
give another number different from what you have mentioned. You will do this
until you have six numbers already.
3. The six numbers that you have mentioned will be used as a population.
4. From the population, you need to construct the sampling distribution of the
sample mean using a sample size of 3.
5. As a pair, you will be solving the mean, variance and standard error of the
sampling distribution that you have.
6. After you did this, share the results to the class. Discuss how long you did the
activity and what steps did you do to make the activity.

Learn about It!

From our previous discussions, we have discussed how to solve for the mean, variance,
and standard error of a sampling distribution of the sample mean. The activity in Warm
Up! allowed you to recall these lessons.

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We learned that in order for us to get the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample
mean, we get the expected value of the sampling distribution by multiplying the sample
mean by its corresponding probability and adding all of the results. We also learned that
to make it easier for us to compute for the mean of the sampling distribution of the
sample mean, we can simply get the population mean because the mean of the sampling
distribution of the sample mean is the same with the population mean.

We also learned that in order for us to get the variance of the sampling distribution of the
sample mean, we get the quotient of the population variance and the sample size. This
value gives us the variability of the sampling distribution. When we get the square root of
the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean, we will arrive at the value of
the standard error of the sampling distribution.

We can use these things in order for us to solve for word problems about a sampling
distribution of the sample mean.

Let’s Practice!

Example 1: A population has a mean of 14 and a standard deviation of 3. The sample

size used for the sampling distribution is . What are the values of the
mean, variance, and standard error of the sampling distribution of the mean?

Solution: Since the population mean is given as 14, the mean of the sampling
distribution of the sample mean is also 14. The mean of the sampling
distribution of the sample mean is equal to the population mean.

The variance on the other hand is the quotient of the population variance
and the sample size. It was given that the standard deviation of the
population is 3. When we square the standard deviation of the population,
we get the variance of the population. Thus, the variance is .

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To get the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean, we

substitute the population variance and the sample size to the formula.

Therefore, the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is

0.9.

For the standard error of the sampling distribution of the sample mean, we
simply get the square root of the variance of the sampling distribution of the
sample mean.

Therefore, the standard error of the sampling distribution of the sample

mean is 0.95.

Try It Yourself!

A population has a mean of 26 and a standard deviation of 4.23. The sample size
used for the sampling distribution is . What are the values of the mean,
variance, and standard error of the sampling distribution of the mean?

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Example 2: There are five fishes in an aquarium. Their weights (in kg) are reported as
follows.

Fish Weight (in kg)

A 1.26
B 1.79
C 1.11
D 0.89
E 0.95

Two fishes are selected at random. Compute for the mean and variance of
the sampling distribution of the sample mean for every two fishes selected.

Solution: To compute for the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean,
we solve for the population mean since it is the same with the mean of the
sampling distribution of the sample mean.

Therefore, the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is 1.2
kg.

To solve for the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean, we
first compute for the variance of the population.

Observations

1.26 1.5876
1.79 3.2041
1.11 1.2321
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0.89 0.7921
0.95 0.9025

Upon obtaining the population variance, we can now get the variance of the
sampling distribution of the sample mean.

Therefore, the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is

0.052 kg.

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Try It Yourself!

Five laboratory mice are in a cage. The weights of the mice are summarized in the
table below.
Mouse Weight (in kg)
A 0.22
B 0.13
C 0.16
D 0.26
E 0.28

Two mice are selected randomly for testing. Compute for the mean and variance of
the sampling distribution of the sample mean describing the mean weight of two
mice.

Example 3: Six basketball players are in a queue for medical testing in a clinic as part of
their fitness test. Their heights (in cm) were recorded as follows.

Player Height (in cm)

A 183.5
B 190.6
C 195.8
D 192.3
E 200.5
F 185.8

If three players are selected at random, what is the mean and standard error
of the sampling distribution of the sample mean describing the mean height
of the three players?
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Solution: The mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is equal to the
population mean.

Therefore, the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is

191.42 cm.

To solve for the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean, we
first compute for the variance of the population.

Observations

183.5 33 672.25
190.6 36 328.36
195.8 38 337.64
192.3 36 979.29
200.5 40 200.25
185.8 34 521.64

Upon obtaining the population variance, we can now get the variance of the
sampling distribution of the sample mean.

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Therefore, the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is

10.97 cm.

The standard error of the sampling distribution is simply the square root of
the variance.

Therefore, the standard error of the sampling distribution of the sample

mean is 3.31 cm.

Try It Yourself!

Six employees are in a queue for medical testing in a clinic as part of their annual
physical check-up. Their heights (in cm) were recorded as follows.

Employee Height (in cm)

If three employees are selected at random, what is A 152.4
the mean and standard error of the sampling B 161.1
distribution of the sample mean describing the C 169.6
mean height of the three employees? D 148.8
E 177.9
F 155.1
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More Real-World Problems

Example 4: Ten students line up in a queue for an

interview for a scholarship grant offered
by the city government. Their age (in
years) are listed as follows:

Student A B C D E F G H I J
Age (in
15.4 16.6 15.7 21.1 16.5 17.7 18.2 20.2 19.1 16.5
years)

If four students are selected at random, compute for the standard error of
the sampling distribution of the sample mean.

Solution: We first get the variance of the population.

Observations

15.4 237.16
16.6 275.56
15.7 246.49
21.1 445.21
16.5 272.25
17.7 313.29
18.2 331.24
20.2 408.04
19.1 364.81
16.5 272.25

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Upon obtaining the population variance, we can now get the variance of the
sampling distribution of the sample mean.

Therefore, the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is

0.835 years.

The standard error of the sampling distribution is simply the square root of
the variance.

Therefore, the standard error of the sampling distribution of the sample

mean is 0.91 years.

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Try It Yourself!

Ten employees in a certain company line

up in a queue for an interview for a
position in a company. Their age (in
years) are listed as follows:

Employee A B C D E F G H I J
Age (in
30.2 26.3 35.3 42.3 25.7 24.2 29.8 31.2 34.4 30.7
years)

If three employees are selected at random, compute for the standard error of the
sampling distribution of the sample mean.

Check Your Understanding!

1. A population has a mean of 15 and a standard deviation of 6. The sample size used
for the sampling distribution is . What are the values of the mean, variance,
and standard error of the sampling distribution of the mean?

2. A population consists of the numbers 10, 12, 18, 21, 25. Find the mean, variance
and standard error of the sampling distribution of the sample mean for a sample
size of 2.

3. Four life insurance agents recorded the number of insurance deals were they able
to close for a given month. The following table are the number of insurance deals
the four agents are able to close.

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Agent A B C D
Number of deals 5 7 4 2

If two agents are chosen at random, compute for the mean and variance of the
sampling distribution of the sample mean describing the number of insurance
deals closed by any two agents in a month.

4. Five branches of a car company reported the number of automobiles sold in their
branch for a week. If three branches are selected at random, compute for the mean
and standard error of the sampling distribution of the sample mean describing the
mean number of automobiles sold by any three branches in a week.

Branch A B C D E
Number of
6 3 4 1 10
automobiles sold

5. A group of student athletes underwent a physical check-up before they participate

in an inter-school tournament. Their heights (in inches) were recorded as follows:

Student A B C D E F G H
Height (in inches) 66 63 64 72 70 61 58 55

What is the standard error for the sampling distribution of the sample mean of
sample size 4?

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Challenge Yourself!

1. A sampling distribution of the sample mean was constructed with a sample size of
3 from a population consisting of 4, 8, 10, 13 and . If the mean of the sampling
distribution is 10, what is the value of ?

2. A sampling distribution of the sample mean was constructed with a sample size of
3 from a population consisting of 2, 3, 6, and . If the variance of the sampling
distribution is 2.5, what is the positive value of ?

3. A sampling distribution of the sample mean was constructed from a population

consisting of the following scores. A sample size of 5 was used in the distribution.

15, 19, 20, 22, 28, 18, 29, 10, 5, 22, 30, 11, 19, 17, 23

Compute for the following:

a. mean of the sampling distribution
b. variance of the sampling distribution
c. standard error of the sampling distribution

4. Six individuals were asked about their age. The following are their responses.

Individual A B C D E F
Age (in years) 18 20 28 24 22

If the standard error of the sampling distribution of the sample mean with a sample
size of 3 is approximately 3.89, what is the value of rounded off to the nearest
whole number?

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5. The entire student body of 555 students took a test. The test scores have a mean of
75 and a standard deviation of 10. If you randomly chose 25 of these test scores
and calculated their mean over and over again, what are the values of the mean,
variance, and standard error of the distribution?

Performance Task

In this task, you will act as a teacher. Your goal in this task is to gauge the performance of
your students in a quarter in different subjects like Math, Science, Filipino, English and
Social Science. As a teacher, you will be needing the grades of your students in all
subjects. You will be selecting ten students’ grades per subject as a sample. For each of
the ten grades, you will be computing for the mean, variance, and standard error of the
sampling distribution of the sample mean for the grades of the students in the said
subjects. Based on the values that you obtained, in which subject do the students
performed better? Provide an explanation of your answer. Give the report to your teacher
after a week.

Performance Task Rubric

Below Needs Successful Exemplary

Criteria Expectation Improvement Performance Performance
(0–49%) (50–74%) (75–99%) (99+%)
All
There are more There are 2-3
Mathematical There is 1 incorrect mathematical
than 3 incorrect incorrect
Accuracy solution. solutions are
solutions. solutions.
correct.
The report has The report
Completeness The report has 3-4 The report has 1-2
more than 4 submitted is
of Work missing details. missing details.
missing details. complete.
The explanation The explanation of The explanation of The explanation
Explanation of the values the values the values of the values
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inaccurate and somehow accurate, but some accurate and

not inaccurate and parts are comprehensive.
comprehensive. incomprehensible. incomprehensible.
The report is The report is The report is The report is
Punctuality submitted more submitted 1 day submitted late but submitted on
than 1 day late. late. within the day. time.

Wrap-up

Sampling Distribution
of the Sample Mean

Variance Standard Error

Mean The variance of a sampling The standard error of a
The mean of a sampling distribution of the sample sampling distribution of the
distribution of the sample mean is equal to the sample mean is equal to the
mean is equal to the quotient of the population standard deviation of the
population mean . variance and the sample sampling distribution of the
size. sample mean.

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Key to Let’s Practice!

Lesson 1
1.
2.
Sample Mean Probability

13

14

15

16

17

3.

Sample Mean Probability

27 0.1
28 0.1
29 0.2
30 0.2
31 0.2
32 0.1
33 0.1
4.

Sample Mean Probability

462 0.1
515 0.1
542 0.1
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557 0.1
570 0.1
584 0.1
612 0.1
637 0.1
665 0.1
692 0.1
Lesson 2
1.
2.
3.
4.

Lesson 3
1.
2.
3.
4.

Lesson 4
1.
2.
3.
4.

References

Bluman, Allen G. Elementary Statistics: A Step by Step Approach. New York: McGraw Hill
Education., 2013.

StatTrek. “Sampling Distributions.” Accessed September 21, 2018.

[Link]
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