Stat 101 Problem Set 2 - SJVillejo

Instructions: Work in groups of at most 4 members. Deadline is on October 4, 5pm. Show complete
solutions.

1. Some researchers think that Vitamin C may be useful in reducing the buildup of cholesterol
deposits on the inner walls of arteries, thereby reducing the possibility of heart attacks.
(Gainesville Sun, June 14, 1976). The cholesterol level of each 50 persons (with higher than
normal cholesterol levels) was recorded before, and then after, a one-month daily regime of 500
milligrams (mg) of Vitamin C per day. The data collected for this sample showed the mean and
standard deviation of the drop in cholesterol level by 64.3 mg per 100 ml and 18.9 mg per 100
ml, respectively. Estimate the mean drop per person in cholesterol level by using 95%
confidence interval. Interpret.
2. Advertisers fear that users of DVD recorders will fast forward past commercials when they
watch a recorded program. Sky, the leading British pay television company, told their
advertisers that this effect might be offset because DVD users watch more TV. A sample of 15
DVD users showed a daily mean screen time of 2 hours and 26 minutes with a standard
deviation of 14 minutes, compared with a daily mean of 2 hours and 7 minutes with a standard
deviation of 12 minutes for a sample of 15 non-DVD users.
a. Construct a 95% confidence interval for the difference in mean TV watching. Assume
normality with unequal variances.
b. Would this sample support Skys claim? Why or why not?
3. Beer shelf life is a problem for brewers and distributors, because when beer is stored at room
temperature, its flavour deteriorates. When the average furfuryl ether content reaches 6 g per
liter, a typical consumer beings to taste an unpleasant chemical flavour. At = 0.05, would the
following sample of 12 randomly chosen bottles stored for a month convince you that the mean
furfuryl ether content exceeds the taste threshold? Assume normality.
Beer contents: 6.53, 5.68, 8.10, 7.50, 6.32, 8.75, 5.98, 7.50, 5.01, 5.95, 6.40, 7.02
4. According to the Washington Post (December 7, 1976), federal scientists in Oklahoma have
been able to forecast tornadoes in Oklahoma with an accuracy that is better than 90%.
Suppose that the scientists tracked 274 storms that did not result in tornadoes and 37 that did.
Of these 311 storms they correctly forecast the type of storm in 273 cases. Would this disagree
with the claimed forecasting ability of the federal scientists?

5. To test the hypothesis that students who finish an exam first get better grades, Professor
Hardtack kept track of the order in which papers were handed in. The first 25 papers showed a
mean score of 77.1 with a standard deviation of 19.6, while the last 24 papers handed in showed
a mean score of 69.3 with a standard deviation of 24.9. Is this a significant difference at 0.05
level of significance? Assume normality and equal variances.
6. A cognitive clinic assists outpatient victims of head injury, anoxia, or other conditions that result
in cognitive impairment. Each incoming patient is evaluated to establish an appropriate
treatment program and estimated length of stay. To see if the evaluation teams are consistent,
12 randomly chosen patients are separately evaluated by two expert teams (A and B) as shown.
a. At the .10 level of significance, are the evaluators consistent in their estimates?
b. Find the 90% confidence interval estimate. Is this consistent with your decision in (a)?
Team
A
B

1
24
24

2
24
20

3
52
52

4
30
36

5
40
36

Patient
6
30
36

7
18
24

8
30
36

9
18
16

10
40
52

11
24
24

7. U.S. President Dick Cheney received a lot of publicity after his fourth heart attack. A portable
defibrillator was surgically implanted in his chest to deliver an electric shock to restore his heart
rhythm whenever another attack is threatening. Researchers at the University of Rochester (NY)
Medical Center implanted defibrillators in 742 patients after a heart attack and compared them
with 490 similar patients without the implant. Over the next 2 years, 98 of those without
defibrillators had died, compared with 104 of those with defibrillators. (Science News 161 [April
27, 2002])
a. Did the defibrillator significantly reduce the death rate? Use =0.05.
b. Find the 95% confidence interval.
c. Why might such devices not be widely implanted in heart attack patients?

12
12
16