Statistics: Population Mean: σ unknown

Students will be introduced to the assumptions needed to use the t distribution to estimate the true mean of a population when only the sample mean and standard deviation are known. They will investigate, by graphing, the relationship between a normal distribution and the t distribution.

Students are presented with a problem to calculate a confidence interval. They will compute the interval, finding the t-value and the error. Then the teacher will lead students in learning how to use the TInterval command for a second method of finding the interval.

As an extension, students are given a data set and asked to construct three confidence intervals. They will be able to use either method from the activity.