In a survey, 20 people were asked how much they spent on their child's last birthday gift. The results were roughly bell-shaped with a mean of $30 and standard deviation of $2. Find the margin of error for a 99% confidence level.

To find the margin of error for a 99% confidence level, we need to use the formula:

Margin of Error = Critical Value * Standard Deviation

Step 1: Find the critical value
For a 99% confidence level, we need to find the z-score that corresponds to a 0.99 probability. The z-score can be found using a standard normal distribution table or a statistical calculator. For a 99% confidence level, the critical value is approximately 2.576.

Step 2: Calculate the margin of error
Now, we can calculate the margin of error using the formula mentioned earlier:

Margin of Error = Critical Value * Standard Deviation

Given:
Standard Deviation (σ) = $2
Critical Value (Z) = 2.576

Using the formula, we can calculate the margin of error:

Margin of Error = 2.576 * $2
= $5.152 (rounded to two decimal places)

Therefore, the margin of error for a 99% confidence level is approximately $5.15.

Z = (score-mean)/SEm

SEm = SD/√n

The error would be .005 at each end, which gives you a Z score of ±1.645.

I'll let you do the calculations.