Cottonmouth Litter Size. In the article "The Eastern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) at the Northern Edge of Its Range" (Journal of Herpetology, Vol. 29 No. 3 pp. 391-398), C. Blem and L. Blem examined the reproductive characteristics of the eastern cottonmouth, a once widely distributed snake whose numbers have decreased recently due to encroachment by humans. A simple random sample of 44 female cottonmouths yielded the following data on the number of young per litter.

a. Use the data to obtain a point estimate for the mean number of young per litter, μ of all female eastern cottonmouths. (Note: Σxi=334.

b. Is your point estimate in part (a) likely to equal μ exactly? Explain your answer.

Short Answer

Expert verified

Part (a) Estimated value of mean no. of young per litter for the population is 7

Part (b) No.

Step by step solution

01

Part (a) Step 1: Given information

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02

Part (a) Step 2: Concept

The formula used: Sample mean=1n×i=144xi

03

Part (a) Step 3: Calculation

Here the sample size is 44 i.e., n=44

Let xibe the i-thsample observation on number of young per litter. i=1,2,44

Here i=144xi=334

Sample mean =1n×i=144xi

=144×334=7.59

Mean no of young per litter is 8(approximately)

the point estimate of the population means =8

The estimated value of mean no. of young per litter for the population is 7

04

Part (b) Step 1: Explanation

No, it's doubtful that the sample mean x¯ will be exactly the same as the population mean μ We're attempting to guess (estimate) the population mean value solely by drawing a sample, or a subset of the population. As a result, some sampling error is unavoidable.

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