Week 5

Subject: Statistics and Probability

Topic: Sampling Distribution of the Sample Mean (When the Variance is Known and Unknown)
Week: 5

Learning Outcomes:

 The learner is able to apply suitable sampling and sampling distributions of the sample
mean to solve real-life problems in different disciplines.
o illustrates random sampling.
o distinguishes between parameter and statistic.
o identifies sampling distributions of statistics (sample mean).
o finds the mean and variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean.
o defines the sampling distribution of the sample mean for normal population when
the variance is: (a) known; (b) unknown
o illustrates the Central Limit Theorem.
o defines the sampling distribution of the sample mean using the Central Limit
Theorem.
o solves problems involving sampling distributions of the sample mean.

Definition of Terms:

 SAMPLING DISTRIBUTION OF THE SAMPLE MEAN – these are sample means can be
written as a distribution.
 SAMPLING VARIABILITY – it shows how the sample mean varies from sample to sample.
 STANDARD ERROR- The standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample
mean. It is used to measure the accuracy with which the sample represents the
population.

Discussions:

In gathering data, it is sometimes impractical to obtain data from every member of the
population. This is why we just get data from a representative of the population, which is a
sample. You may have noticed that the mean of the population (𝜇) is different from the mean
of the sample̅̅̅̅̅
(𝑥) . This variation makes it difficult to determine how far is 𝑥̅ from.

The sample mean varies

from sample to sample. These
sample means can be written as a
distribution, which is called the
sampling distribution of the
sample mean.
 The sampling distribution of the sample mean shows all possible samples from the
population, along with their sample means. The sampling variability shows how the sample
mean varies from sample to sample. It makes it difficult to know how far a given 𝑥̅ is from 𝜇 .
However, there are several relationships that can be observed between the mean and variance
of the sampling distribution of the sample mean, and the mean and variance of the population.

If the population is normally distributed, then the sampling distribution of the sample
mean is also normal with mean 𝝁𝒙̅ equal to the population mean 𝝁 .

𝝁𝒙̅ = 𝝁

Moreover, the variance 𝜎𝑥̅2 of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is equal to
the population variance 𝜎 2 divided by the sample size.

𝝈𝟐
𝝈𝟐𝒙̅ = 𝒏

By taking the square root of the variance, we can obtain the standard deviation. Thus,
the standard deviation 𝜎𝑥̅ of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is the population
standard deviation 𝜎 divided by the square root of the sample size 𝑛 .
𝝈
𝝈𝒙̅ =
√𝒏

The standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean, which is also
called the standard error, is used to measure the accuracy with which the sample represents
the population. The formula varies if the sample size is a significant fraction of the population
size. For this lesson, it is assumed that the sample size is not large enough compared to the
population size.

Example 1: A group of students took an aptitude test. The scores have a normal
distribution. Its population mean is 𝜇 = 90 with variance 𝜎 2 = 9 . Determine the mean and
standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean of the scores with a sample
size of 36.

Solution:
Step 1: Determine the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean.
The mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is equal to the population
mean.

𝝁𝒙̅ = 𝝁
𝝁𝒙̅ = 𝟗𝟎

Thus, the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is 90.
Step 2: Determine the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample
mean.

Use the formula for the variance of a sampling distribution of the sample mean of a
normally distributed population. Then take its square root to get the standard deviation.

𝝈𝟐
𝝈𝟐𝒙̅ = 𝒏
𝟗
𝝈𝟐𝒙̅= 𝟑𝟔
𝟑
𝝈𝒙̅ =
𝟔
𝟏
𝝈𝒙̅ = = 0.5
𝟐

Thus, the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is 0.5.

Example 2: The sampling distribution of the sample mean with sample size 𝑛 = 25
from a normally distributed population has mean 𝜇𝑥̅ = 100 with standard deviation
𝜎𝑥̅ = 6. Determine the population mean and population standard deviation.

Solution:

Step 1: Determine the population mean.

Since the given population is normally distributed, the mean of the sampling distribution
of the sample mean is equal to the population mean. Thus,
𝝁 = 𝝁𝒙̅ = 𝟏𝟎𝟎 .

Step 2: Determine the population standard deviation.

𝝈
𝝈𝒙̅ =
√𝒏
𝝈
𝟔=
√𝟐𝟓
𝝈
𝟔=𝟓
𝝈 = 𝟑𝟎

Example 3: Given a normally distributed population with variance 𝜎 2 = 60, determine

the sample size such that the sampling distribution of the sample mean has a standard
deviation 𝜎𝑥̅ = 2 .

Solution:
Step 1: Determine the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean.

The variance is the square of the standard deviation.

Thus, 𝝈𝟐𝒙̅ = (𝝈𝒙̅ )𝟐 = 22 = 4
Step 2: Determine the sample size 𝑛.

Use the formula for the variance of a sampling distribution of the sample mean
of a normally distributed population.

𝝈𝟐
𝝈𝟐𝒙̅ = 𝒏
𝝈𝟐
𝒏 = 𝝈𝟐
̅
𝒙

𝟔𝟎
𝒏 =𝟒
𝒏 = 15
Thus, the sampling distribution of the sample mean has a standard deviation 𝜎𝑥̅
= 2 if the sample size is 15.

Real-World Problems

Example 4: The grades of students in a certain university follow a normal

distribution with mean 𝜇 = 2.51 and standard deviation 𝜎 = 1.00. Determine
the mean and standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample
mean of the students’ grades with a sample size of 225.

Solution:

Step 1: Determine the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean.

Since the grades are normally distributed, the mean of the sampling distribution
of the sample mean is equal to the population mean. Thus, 𝝁 = 𝝁𝒙̅ = 𝟐. 𝟓𝟏 .

Step 2: Determine the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the

sample mean.
𝝈
Since the grades are normally distributed, 𝝈𝒙̅ = 𝒏
√
 𝝈
𝝈𝒙̅ =
√𝒏
𝟏
𝝈𝒙̅ =
√𝟐𝟐𝟓
𝟏
𝝈𝒙̅ = 𝟏𝟓 ≈ 0.07

Thus, the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean of
the students’ grades is approximately 0.07 .

Sampling Distribution of the Sample Mean (When the Variance Is Unknown)

In the previous lesson, we learned the relationship between the population parameters
and the parameters of the sampling distribution of the sample mean of a normally distributed
population. That is, given a sample size, we can solve for the mean and standard deviation of
the sampling distribution of the sample mean if we know the population mean and population
standard deviation. However, in most applications, the population standard deviation 𝜎 is
unknown. In these cases, we can use the sample standard deviation 𝒔 instead.

If a population is normally distributed and the population standard deviation is

unknown, the variance 𝜎𝑥̅2 of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is estimated by
𝒔𝟐
𝝈𝟐𝒙̅ = 𝒏
where s2 is a sample variance, which is an unbiased estimate of 𝜎 2 , and 𝑛 is the sample size.

Moreover, the standard deviation 𝜎𝑥̅ of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is
estimated by
𝒔
𝝈𝒙̅ =
√𝒏

Example 1: Given a normally distributed set of data with mean 𝜇 = 45 and a sample
standard deviation = 3 , what is the mean and standard deviation of the sampling
distribution of the sample mean with a sample size of 81?

Solution:
Step 1: Determine the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean.
Since the given population is normally distributed, the mean of the sampling
distribution of the sample mean is equal to the population mean. Thus, 𝜇 =
𝜇𝑥̅ = 45

Step 2: Determine the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the

sample mean.
Since the given population is normally distributed and the population standard
deviation is unknown, we will use the given sample standard deviation to
 estimate the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample
mean.
𝒔
𝝈𝒙̅ =
√𝒏
𝟑
𝝈𝒙̅ =
√𝟖𝟏
𝟏
= 𝟑 ≈ 𝟎. 𝟑𝟑
Thus, the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is
Approximately 0.33.

Example 2: Given a normally distributed set of data with a sample standard deviation =
20 , estimate the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean with a
sample size of 200.

Solution:

Step 1: Determine a sample variance.

We can use the given sample standard deviation in the problem to determine a sample
variance. Since s = 20 , we have 𝑠 2 = 400.

Step 2: Determine the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean.

Since the given population is normally distributed and the population variance is
unknown, we will use the sample variance from Step 1 to estimate the variance of the
sampling distribution of the sample mean.

𝒔𝟐
𝝈𝟐𝒙̅ = 𝒏

𝟒𝟎𝟎
𝝈𝟐𝒙̅ = 𝟐𝟎𝟎
𝝈𝟐𝒙̅ = 2

Thus, the variance of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is 2 .

Example 3: If the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean of
a normally distributed set of data is estimated by 𝜎𝑥̅ = 5 using the sample variance ,
𝑠 2 = 100 determine the sample size of the sampling distribution.

Solution: Since the given population is normally distributed and the population standard
deviation is unknown, we can estimate the standard deviation of the sampling
distribution of the sample mean using a sample standard deviation. Since the given
sample variance is 𝑠 2 = 100 , we have the sample standard deviation 𝑠 = 10.
𝒔
𝝈𝒙̅ =
√𝒏
𝒔
√𝒏 = 𝝈
̅
𝒙

𝟏𝟎
√𝒏 = 𝟓
√𝒏 = 2
𝒏=𝟒

Thus, the sample size of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is 4 .

Real-World Problems

Example 4: The weight of mangoes in a certain plantation follow a normal distribution

with mean 𝜇 = 210 g. Using a sample standard deviation of 40 g, determine the mean
and standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean of the weight of
mangoes with a sample size of 64 .

Solution:

Step 1: Determine the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean.

Since the given population is normally distributed, the mean of the sampling distribution
of the sample mean is equal to the population mean. Thus, 𝜇 = 𝜇𝑥̅ = 210 g.

Step 2: Determine the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample
mean.
Since the given population is normally distributed and the population standard
deviation is unknown, the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample
mean can be estimated using the sample standard deviation.
𝒔
𝝈𝒙̅ =
√𝒏
𝟒𝟎
𝝈𝒙̅ =
√𝟔𝟒
𝝈𝒙̅ = 5

Thus, the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is
estimated at 5 g.

1. Solve the following.

a. Given a normally distributed set of data with 𝜇 = 32 and = 10 , what is the mean and
standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean with a sample size
of 25?
b. Given a normally distributed set of data with 𝜇 = 50 and 𝜎 = 5, what is the mean
and standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean with a sample
size of 4?
c. Given a normally distributed set of data with 𝜇 = 60 and 𝜎 2 = 12 , what is the mean
and standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean with a sample
size of 4?

2. Determine the population mean and population standard deviation given the
following Information about the sampling distribution of the sample mean of a normally
distributed population.
a. 𝜇𝑥̅ = 105 , 𝜎𝑥̅ = 10, 𝑛 = 90
b. 𝜇𝑥̅ = 1 , 𝜎𝑥̅ = 0.1, 𝑛 = 4
c. 𝜇𝑥̅ = 20 , 𝜎𝑥̅ = 2, 𝑛 = 50

3. Given a normally distributed population with standard deviation = 135 ,

determine the sample size such that the sampling distribution of the sample mean has a
standard deviation 𝜎𝑥̅ = 9.
4. Solve the following.
a. Given a normally distributed set of data with mean 𝜇 = 10 and a sample standard
deviation = 4 , what is the mean and standard deviation of the sampling distribution of
the sample mean with a sample size of 36?
b. Given a normally distributed set of data with mean 𝜇 = 50 and a sample standard
deviation 𝑠 = 20, what is the mean and standard deviation of the sampling distribution
of the sample mean with a sample size of 49?
c. Given a normally distributed set of data with mean 𝜇 = 45 and a sample standard
deviation = 50 , what is the mean and standard deviation of the sampling distribution
of the sample mean with a sample size of 121?

5. Determine the population mean and sample standard deviation used given the
following information about the sampling distribution of the sample mean of a normally
distributed population whose population standard deviation is unknown.
a. 𝜇𝑥̅ = 105 , 𝜎𝑥̅ = 10, 𝑛 = 90
b. 𝜇𝑥̅ = 1 , 𝜎𝑥̅ = 0.1, 𝑛 = 4
c. 𝜇𝑥̅ = 20 , 𝜎𝑥̅ = 2, 𝑛 = 50

References:

Cherry, Kendra. “What an Average IQ Means and Indicates” Accessed September 21,
2018. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-average-iq-2795284

Ocampo Jr., Jose M. and Wilmer G. Marquez.Conceptual Math & Beyond: Statistics and
Probability. Quezon City: Brilliant Creations Publishing, Inc., 2016

Bataller, Ramil T. Math Activated: Engage Yourself and Our World – Statistics and
Probability. Makati City: Don Bosco Press, Inc., 2016
Subject: Statistics and Probability
Topic: The Central Limit Theorem and Sampling Distribution Using the Central Limit
Week: 6

Learning Outcomes:

 The learner is able to apply suitable sampling and sampling distributions of the sample
mean to solve real-life problems in different disciplines.
o illustrates the Central Limit Theorem.
o defines the sampling distribution of the sample mean using the Central Limit
Theorem.
o solves problems involving sampling distributions of the sample mean.

Definition of Terms:
 CENTRAL LIMIT THEOREM states that given a large enough sample size, the sampling
distribution of the sample mean will have a normal distribution, or have an
approximately normal distribution, regardless of the distribution of the population.
Moreover, the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean will be equal to
𝜎
the population mean and the standard error will be 𝑛 . For populations with finite size,
√
the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is given by
𝝈 𝑵−𝒏
𝝈𝒙̅ = ∙ √𝑵−𝟏, where N is the population size.
√𝒏

Discussions:

The Central Limit Theorem is a fundamental theorem in Statistics. It implies that as long
as we have a sufficient amount of sample, any distribution slowly approaches a normal
distribution. As a result, we can apply different
statistical procedures that are only applicable to
normally distributed sets of data to any population
given a large sample size.
Note that for a sample size to be “large
enough,” many factors can be considered such as the
ratio of the sample size to the population size, type of
data, or even the context of the problem where the
theorem is applied. But as a rule of thumb, the
sample size is considered large enough if it is at least
30.
Example 1: Consider a population with 𝜇 = 50 and 𝜎 = 5 , is taken. Find the mean and
the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean with a sample
size of 30.

Solution:

By the Central Limit Theorem, since the sample size is at least , the sampling distribution
of the sample mean will be normally distributed. Since we know that 𝜇 = 50 and = 5 ,
we can solve for the mean and standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the
sample mean.

The mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is equal to the population
mean.
𝝁𝒙̅ = 𝝁
𝝁𝒙̅ = 𝟓𝟎
Thus, the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is 50.
Moreover, the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is
equal to the quotient of the population standard deviation and the square root of the
sample size.
𝝈
𝝈̅𝒙 =
√𝒏
𝟓
𝝈𝒙̅ =
√𝟑𝟎

𝟓 √𝟑𝟎
𝝈𝒙̅ = ∙
√𝟑𝟎 √𝟑𝟎

𝟓√𝟑𝟎
𝝈𝒙̅ =
𝟑𝟎
√𝟑𝟎
𝝈𝒙̅ = ≈ 𝟎. 𝟗𝟏
𝟔

Thus, the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean
approximately 0.91

Example 2: A set of data consists of the values 10, 20, 30, and 40. A sample of size 2,
which is considered large enough, is taken from the population. Verify that the
histogram of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is approximately bell-
shaped.

Solution:

Step 1: Determine the number of possible samples from the given population.
The problem states that a sample of size 2 is taken from the population. Since there are
four members in the population and the sample size is 2, the number of samples is
determined by 4C2.
4!
4C2 = ( 4−2)!2!

4!
4C2 = 2!2!

4C2 =6

Thus, there are 6 possible samples of size 2 from the given population.

Step 2: Determine the samples from the given population and compute for their sample
means.

Sample Sample Mean

10,20 15
10,30 20
10,40 25
20,30 25
20,40 30
30,40 35

Step 3: Construct the sampling distribution of the sample mean.

Determine the probability of each sample mean by counting of its number of occurrence
over the number of possible sample means.

Sample Mean Probability

1
15 ≈ 0.17
6
1
20 ≈ 0.17
6
1
25 ≈ 0.33
3
1
30 ≈ 0.17
6
1
35 ≈ 0.17
6

Step 4: Construct the histogram of the sampling distribution of the sample mean and
verify whether the histogram is approximately bell-shaped.
Use the x-axis for the sample means and the y-axis for the probability of each sample
mean

0.51

0.34

0.17

15 20 25 30 35

It can be observed from the histogram that it forms an approximately bell -shaped
distribution.

Example 3:

A population consists of the numbers 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18. A sample of size 3, which is
large enough, is taken from the population. Verify the application of the Central Limit
Theorem by comparing:
a. the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean and the population mean.
b. the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean and the
population standard deviation.

Solution:

Step 1: Determine the number of possible samples from the given population.

The given population consists of six values and three are taken to form the sample.
Thus, the number of possible samples is given by 6C3.
𝟔!
6C 3 = ( 𝟔−𝟑)!𝟑!

𝟔!
6C 3 = 𝟑!𝟑!

6C 3 = 20

Thus, there are 20 possible samples of size 3 from the given population.

Step 2: Determine all possible samples and their sample means.

The table below illustrates the different samples of size and their sample means.
 Sample Sample Mean
3,6,9 6
3,6,12 7
3,6,15 8
3,6,18 9
3,9,12 8
3,9,15 9
3,9,18 10
3,12,15 10
3,12,18 11
3,15,18 12
6.9,12 9
6,9,15 10
6,9,18 11
6,12,15 11
6,12,18 12
6,15,18 13
9,12,15 12
9,12,18 13
9,15,18 14
12,15,18 15
Step 3: Construct the sampling distribution of the sample mean.

Sample Mean Probability

6 1
20
7 1
20
8 2
20
9 3
20
10 3
20
11 3
20
12 3
20
13 2
20
14 1
20
15 1
20
Compare the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean and the population
mean. The population mean is obtained by adding all the members of the population
then dividing the sum by the population size.

𝟑 + 𝟔 + 𝟗 + 𝟏𝟐 + 𝟏𝟓 + 𝟏𝟖
𝝁=
𝟔
𝝁 = 10.5

The mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean can be obtained using the
formula:
̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
𝝁𝒙̅ = ∑[𝑿 ̅̅̅̅].
∙ 𝑷(𝑿)

𝑋̅ 𝑃(𝑋̅) 𝑋̅ ∙ 𝑃(𝑋̅)
6 1 0.3
20
7 1 0.35
20
8 2 0.8
S
o 20
9 3 1.35
l
v 20
10 3 1.5
e
20
11 3 1.65
f
o 20
r 12 3 1.8
20
t 13 2 1.3
h 20
e 14 1 0.7
20
m 15 1 0.75
e 20

and of the sampling distribution of the sample mean by adding all the values in the
column ̅𝑋 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋̅) .

̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅
𝝁𝒙̅ = ∑[𝑿 ̅̅̅̅]
∙ 𝑷(𝑿)

𝝁̅𝒙 = 𝟎. 𝟑 + 𝟎. 𝟑𝟓 + 𝟎. 𝟖 + 𝟏. 𝟑𝟓 + 𝟏. 𝟓 + 𝟏. 𝟔𝟓 + 𝟏. 𝟖 + 𝟏. 𝟑 + 𝟎. 𝟕 + 𝟎. 𝟕𝟓

𝝁𝒙̅ = 𝟏𝟎. 𝟓
 Thus, the population mean and the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample
mean are equal.

Next, compare the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean
and the population standard deviation.

To compute for the standard deviation of the population, we use the following formula.

∑ 𝑿𝟐 ∑𝒙
𝝈= √ − ( )𝟐
𝑵 𝑵

X X2
3 9
6 36
9 81
12 144
15 225
18 324
∑ 𝑋 = 63 2
∑𝑋 = 819

∑ 𝑿𝟐 ∑𝒙
𝝈= √ − ( )𝟐
𝑵 𝑵

𝟖𝟏𝟗 𝟔𝟑
𝝈= √ − ( )𝟐
𝟔 𝟔
𝝈 = 𝟓. 𝟏𝟐

The standard deviation of the sampling distribution can be obtained using the formula:

̅ 𝟐 ∙ 𝑷(𝑿
𝝈𝒙̅ = √∑[𝑿 ̅ )] − (𝝁𝒙̅ )𝟐
.

𝑋̅ 𝑋̅ 2 𝑃(𝑋̅) 𝑋̅ 2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋̅)
6 36 1 1.8
20
7 49 1 2.45
20
8 64 2 6.4
20
9 81 3 12.15
20
 10 100 3 15
20
11 121 3 18.15
20
12 144 3 21.6
20
13 169 2 16.9
20
14 196 1 9.8
20
15 225 1 11.25
20
∑[𝑋̅ 2 ∙ 𝑃(𝑋̅)] = 115.5

̅ 𝟐 ∙ 𝑷(𝑿
𝝈𝒙̅ = √∑[𝑿 ̅ )] − (𝝁𝒙̅ )𝟐

𝝈𝒙̅ = √𝟏𝟏𝟓. 𝟓 − 𝟏𝟎. 𝟓𝟐

𝝈𝒙̅ = 𝟐. 𝟐𝟗

Solve for the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean using the
𝝈 𝑵−𝒏
formula 𝝈𝒙̅ = ∙ √𝑵−𝟏 . We will use this formula since the population size is finite.
√𝒏

𝝈 𝑵−𝒏
𝝈𝒙̅ = ∙√
√𝒏 𝑵 − 𝟏
𝟓. 𝟏𝟐 𝟔−𝟑
𝝈𝒙̅ = ∙√
√𝟑 𝟔−𝟏
𝝈𝒙̅ ≈ 𝟐. 𝟐𝟗

Thus, the relationship between the population standard deviation and the standard deviation
of the sampling distribution holds true.
Real-World Problems

Example 4: The population mean of the age of the residents in a certain city is 56.12 years with
a standard deviation of 15.3 years. A group of residents from a certain barangay in the city is
taken as a sample. If the population of the city 150 000, find the mean and standard deviation
of the sampling distribution of the sample mean of the residents’ ages.

Solution:

Step 1: Determine the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean.

By the Central Limit Theorem, the sampling distribution of the sample mean of the ages of the
residents in the city tends to form a normal distribution since the sample size is at least 30.
Thus, the population mean and the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean are
equal.
𝜇𝑥̅ = 𝜇
𝜇𝑥̅ = 56.12

Thus, the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is 56.12 years.

Step 2: Determine the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean.

There is a finite number of population given in the problem, that is, 150 000. Thus, we will use
the following formula to compute for the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the
sample mean.
𝜎 𝑁−𝑛
𝜎𝑥̅ = ∙√
√𝑛 𝑁 − 1
5.3 159 000 − 2 000
𝜎𝑥̅ = ∙√
√2000 150 000 − 1
𝜎𝑥̅ ≈ 0.34

Therefore, the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is 0.34
years.
Sampling Distribution Using the Central Limit

The Central Limit Theorem is an essential theorem in Statistics. It assures us that the
sampling distribution of the sample mean will tend to have a normal distribution given that the
sample size is large enough. Thus, normal distributions can be used to analyze sampling
distributions of the sample mean.

Consequently, we can analyze the data of any population, regardless of its distribution,
as if it is normally distributed. One important application is that we can determine the
percentage of the population that follows a certain score using its corresponding z-scores.

A good rule of thumb for sampling distributions of the sample mean is that a sufficient
sample size is 𝑛 ≥ 30. The appropriate value of depends on the shape of the population from
which you sample as well as how you want to use the approximation. The following guidelines
may help:

 If the population is normal, then the sampling distribution of 𝑋̅ will also be normal
regardless of the sample size used.
 If the population is approximately symmetric, the sampling distribution of the sample
mean becomes approximately normal for relatively small values of .
 If the population is skewed, the sample size 𝑛 must be larger, with 𝑛 at least 30,
before sampling distribution of the sample mean becomes approximately normal.

Example 1: A normally distributed population has 𝜇 = 55 and = 10 . What is the probability

that a random sample of size 20 has a sample mean less than or equal to 55?

Solution: Since the given population is normally distributed, the sampling

distribution of the sample mean will also be normal with mean 𝜇𝑥̅ = 𝜇. Thus, the
sampling distribution of the sample mean has mean 𝜇𝑥̅ = 55 . Since the mean is also
the median in a normal distribution, half of the sample means fall below it. Therefore,
the probability that a random sample of size 20 has a sample mean less than or equal to
is 55 is 0.5 .

Example 2: A population has mean 𝜇 = 40 and standard deviation 𝜎 = 15 . What is the

probability that a random sample of size 36 will have a mean greater than 47?
Solution: Since the sample size is at least 30, by the Central Limit Theorem, the
sampling distribution of the sample mean follows a normal distribution.
Step 1: Determine the mean and standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the
sample mean.

The population mean is equal to the mean of the sampling distribution of the sample
𝜎
mean, that is, 𝜇𝑥̅ = 40 . On the other hand, we will use the formula 𝜎𝑥̅ = 𝑛 to
√
determine the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean.

𝝈
𝝈𝒙̅ =
√𝒏
𝟏𝟓
𝝈𝒙̅ =
√𝟑𝟔
𝟏𝟓
𝝈𝒙̅ =
𝟔
𝝈𝒙̅ = 𝟐. 𝟓

Therefore, the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is
2.5.

Step 2: Determine the z-scores of the given normal random variable.

̅− 𝝁
𝑿
Using the formula 𝒛 = , we can determine the z-score of the 𝑋̅ = 47.
𝝈𝒙̅

̅− 𝝁
𝑿
𝒛=
𝝈𝒙̅
𝟒𝟕 − 𝟒𝟎
𝒛=
𝟐. 𝟓
𝒛 = 𝟐. 𝟖

Step 3: Determine the area to the right of z = 2.8 in the standard normal curve.

𝑷(𝒛 > 𝟐. 𝟓) = 𝟏 − 𝑷(𝒛 ≤ 𝟐. 𝟓)

𝑷(𝒛 > 𝟐. 𝟓) = 𝟏 − 𝟎. 𝟗𝟗𝟕𝟒
𝑷(𝒛 > 𝟐. 𝟓) = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟐𝟔

Therefore, the area to the right of z = 1.87 is 0.0026. Consequently, 𝑃(𝑋̅ > 47) =
0.0026

Step 4: Determine the probability that a random sample of size 36 will have a mean
greater than 47.

Since the area under the normal curve to the right of 𝑋̅ = 47 in the sampling
distribution of the sample mean with sample size 𝑛 = 36 is 0.0026, the probability that
a random sample of size 36 will have a mean greater than 47 is 0.0026.
Example 3: A population which has a size of 𝑁 = 500 has a mean of 𝜇 = 80and a standard
deviation of 𝜎 = 15 . What is the probability that a random sample of size 𝑛 = 100 will have
a mean between 78 and 83?

Solution: We will use 𝜇 to represent the mean of the sample and 𝜎 to represent the
standard deviation of the sample.

Step 1: Determine the mean and standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the
sample mean.

By the Central Limit Theorem, since the sample size is at least 30, the sampling
distribution of the sample mean follows a normal distribution with 𝜇𝑥̅ = 𝜇. This is
assured to us by the Central Limit Theorem.

Since the population is finite, we will solve for the standard deviation of the sampling
distribution of the sample mean using the following formula.

𝝈
𝑵−𝒏
𝝈𝒙̅ = ∙√
√𝒏 𝑵 − 𝟏
𝟏𝟓 𝟓𝟎𝟎 − 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝝈𝒙̅ = ∙√
√𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝟓𝟎𝟎 − 𝟏

𝟏𝟓 𝟒𝟎𝟎
𝝈𝒙̅ = ∙√
𝟏𝟎 𝟒𝟗𝟗
𝝈𝒙̅ ≈ 𝟏. 𝟑𝟒𝟑

Therefore, the standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is
approximately 1.343.

Step 2: Determine the z-scores of the given normal random variables. Using the formula
𝑋̅ − 𝜇
𝑧= , we can determine the z-score of the normal random variables 𝑋̅ = 78 and
𝜎𝑥̅
𝑋̅ = 83.

For 𝑋̅ = 78, we have

̅− 𝝁
𝑿
𝒛=
𝝈𝒙̅
𝟕𝟖 − 𝟖𝟎
𝒛=
𝟏. 𝟑𝟒𝟑
𝒛 = −𝟏. 𝟒𝟗
For 𝑋̅ = 83, we have
̅− 𝝁
𝑿
𝒛=
𝝈𝒙̅
𝟖𝟑 − 𝟖𝟎
𝒛=
𝟏. 𝟑𝟒𝟑
𝒛 = 𝟐. 𝟐𝟑

Step 3: Determine the area under the standard normal curve between 𝑧 = −1.49 and
𝑧 = 2.23.

𝑷(−𝟏. 𝟒𝟗 ≤ 𝒛 ≤ 𝟐. 𝟐𝟑) = 𝑷(𝒛 ≤ 𝟐. 𝟐𝟑) − 𝑷(𝒛 ≤ −𝟏. 𝟒𝟗)

𝑷(−𝟏. 𝟒𝟗 ≤ 𝒛 ≤ 𝟐. 𝟐𝟑) = 𝟎. 𝟗𝟖𝟕𝟏 − 𝟎. 𝟎𝟔𝟖𝟏
𝑷(−𝟏. 𝟒𝟗 ≤ 𝒛 ≤ 𝟐. 𝟐𝟑) = 𝟎. 𝟗𝟏𝟗𝟎

Therefore, the area under the standard normal curve between = −1.49 and 𝑧 = 2.23 is
0.9190 . Consequently, 𝑷(𝟕𝟖 ≤ 𝑿 ̅ ≤ 𝟖𝟑) = 𝟎. 𝟗𝟏𝟗𝟎.

Step 4: Determine the probability that a random sample of size will have a mean
between 78 and 83.

Since the area under the normal curve between of ̅𝑋 = 78 and 𝑋̅ = 83 in the sampling
distribution of the sample mean with sample 𝑠𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑛 = 100 is 0.9190, the probability
that a random sample of size will have a mean between 78 and 83 is 0.9190 .
Real-World Problems

Example 4: The average Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is normally distributed with 𝜇 = 100 and
standard deviation 𝜎 = 15 . What is the probability that a random sample of 5 people will have
an average IQ between 90 and 110?

Solution:

Step 1: Determine the mean and standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample
mean.

Since the population is normally distributed , the sampling distribution of the sample mean
follows a normal distribution with 𝜇𝑥̅ = 𝜇 = 100.
.

The standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean is given by
𝝈 𝟏𝟓
𝝈𝒙̅ = =
√𝒏 √𝟓
𝝈𝒙̅ ≈ 𝟔. 𝟕𝟎𝟖𝟐
.
Step 2: Determine the z-scores of the given normal random variables.

𝑋̅ − 𝜇
Using the formula 𝑧 = , we can determine the z-scores of ̅𝑋 = 90 and 𝑋̅ = 110 .
𝜎𝑥̅

For , ̅𝑋 = 90 , we have
̅− 𝝁
𝑿
𝒛=
𝝈𝒙̅
𝟗𝟎 − 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝒛=
𝟔. 𝟕𝟎𝟖𝟐
𝒛 = −𝟏. 𝟒𝟗
For , ̅𝑋 = 110 , we have
̅− 𝝁
𝑿
𝒛=
𝝈𝒙̅
𝟏𝟏𝟎 − 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝒛=
𝟔. 𝟕𝟎𝟖𝟐
𝒛 = 𝟏. 𝟒𝟗

Step 3: Determine the area under the standard normal curve between 𝑧 = −1.49 and 𝑧 =
1.49.

𝑷(−𝟏. 𝟒𝟗 ≤ 𝒛 ≤ 𝟏. 𝟒𝟗) = 𝑷(𝒛 ≤ 𝟏. 𝟒𝟗) − 𝑷(𝒛 ≤ −𝟏. 𝟒𝟗)

𝑷(−𝟏. 𝟒𝟗 ≤ 𝒛 ≤ 𝟏. 𝟒𝟗) = 𝟎. 𝟗𝟑𝟏𝟗 − 𝟎. 𝟎𝟔𝟖𝟏

𝑷(−𝟏. 𝟒𝟗 ≤ 𝒛 ≤ 𝟏. 𝟒𝟗) = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟔𝟑𝟖

Therefore, the area under the standard normal curve between = −1.49 and 𝑧 = 1.49 is
0.08683 . Consequently,𝑃(90 ≤ 𝑋̅ ≤ 110) = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟔𝟑8.

Step 4: Determine the probability that a random sample of 5 people will have an average IQ 90
between and 110.

Since the area under the normal curve between of ̅𝑋 = 90 and 𝑋̅ = 110 in the sampling
distribution of the sample mean of a normally distributed population is 0.8638, the probability
that a random sample of 5 people will have an average IQ between 90 and 110 is 0.8638.
1. Determine the mean and standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample
mean with a sample size of 𝑛 and whose population mean and population standard
deviation are as follows:

a. 𝑛 = 50; 𝜇 = 13; 𝜎 = 3.74

b. 𝑛 = 20; 𝜇 = 26.14; 𝜎 = 5.14
c. 𝑛 = 30; 𝜇 = 31.15; 𝜎 = 1.25
d. 𝑛 = 35 ; 𝜇 = 16.17; 𝜎 = 0.72

2. A population consists of the following values: 100, 120, 140, 160, 180, and 200. A
sample of size 2 is taken from the population. Verify the application of the Central Limit
Theorem by showing that:

a. 𝜇𝑥̅ = 𝜇
𝜎 𝑁−𝑛
b. 𝜎𝑥̅ = ∙ √𝑁−1
√ 𝑛

c. The histogram of the sampling distribution is approximately bell-shaped.

3. The Grade 12 students of a certain city has a population of 30 000. The recent
standardized test shows that the mean of their scores is 32.61 with a standard deviation
of 6.71. 3 000 students are taken as a sample for further testing. Find the mean and
standard deviation of the sampling distribution of the sample mean of the scores.
 4. Solve the following.

a. A normally distributed population has a mean of 𝜇 = 40 and a standard deviation of

𝜎 = 10. What is the probability that a randomly selected score is less than 35?
b. A normally distributed population has a mean of 𝜇 = 120 and a standard deviation
of = 25 . What is the probability that a randomly selected score is between 105 and
125?
c. A normally distributed population has a mean of 𝜇 = 50 and a standard deviation of
= 15 . What is the probability that a random sample of size 9 will have a mean of less
than 43?
c. A normally distributed population which has a size of 𝑁 = 100 with mean 𝜇 = 30
d. and standard deviation . What is the probability that a random sample of size 𝑛 =
25 will have a mean greater than 35 ?

5. Teenagers spend an average of 3.5 hours a day in front of a computer with standard
deviation of 1.1 hours. What is the probability that a random teenager spends between
2 and 3 hours a day in front of a computer?

References:

Cherry, Kendra. “What an Average IQ Means and Indicates” Accessed September 21, 2018.
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-average-iq-2795284

Ocampo Jr., Jose M. and Wilmer G. Marquez.Conceptual Math & Beyond: Statistics and
Probability. Quezon City: Brilliant Creations Publishing, Inc., 2016

Bataller, Ramil T. Math Activated: Engage Yourself and Our World – Statistics and Probability.
Makati City: Don Bosco Press, Inc., 2016